Carisoprodol Changes To Schedule IV

I'm sure there's hardly anyone who reads the Federal Register, unless they can't seem to fall asleep at night. So, I thought I would publish some handy information culled from the January 2012 edition of the Arizona Board of Pharmacy Newsletter (pdf).

According to excerpts from the newsletter -

Carisoprodol (Soma®) will be placed in Federal Controlled Substance Schedule IV on January 11, 2012. The final rule placing carisoprodol into Schedule IV of the Controlled Substances Act was published on Monday, December 12, 2011, in the Federal Register, effective 30 days after publication.

Regulatory requirements are effective on a staggered time line as outlined below. The final rule will be available for public inspection at www.archives.gov/federal-register/public-inspection/. Upon publication the final rule will be posted on the DEA Web site at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/index.html and it will also be available on www.regulations.gov.

Pharmacists take notice - Arizona pharmacies are required to inventory their stock of carisoprodol at the open or close of business on January 11, 2012. Other state boards may have similar rules.

Prescribers take notice - Follow the federal rules and laws now required for prescribing and refilling carisoprodol, and PLEASE include your DEA NUMBER on newly written prescriptions.

Public take notice - Stay out of trouble. Now that carisoprodol will become a "federally-scheduled" drug, the DEA IS INVOLVED. Make sure you KNOW THE LAWS about buying it in Mexico and bringing it across the border, or for carrying a controlled-substance without a legal prescription.

Spell It And Prevent It

Kids are growing up much faster these days than when I was a kid, and with the growth of technology and the advent of the internet, they're exposed to MUCH MORE too. But, perhaps that's a good thing. Life can be much easier when one is more aware and better educated.


Source: In The Know

What's Your New Year's Resolution?

Mine is to keep my emotions tightly under "wrap", and to not do anything that I may regret later.

A Momentos Holiday

The best Christmas gifts are not iPads, expensive jewelry or the latest winter fashions. The best Christmas gifts are those we take for granted, but to another they mean the world. Here's a heart-warming video about the true meaning of Christmas.


MOMENTOS from Nuno Rocha on Vimeo.

A Christmas Miracle

Some things in medicine just can't be explained. Here's some happy news for the holiday.


Source: Digital Journal and Barrow Neurological Institute

Merry Christmas Everyone!

My best wishes for a very healthy and happy holiday season to all of you and your loved ones.


Mike Conley: Christmas Time Is Here from Media 401 on Vimeo.

Are You Prepared For This?

I came across this video today and thought it must be some kind of joke or a spoof of all of those Government or municipal preparedness PSAs we see on television. But no, this is an actual PSA.

Now, before you watch this video, let me say that I'm a big proponent of being prepared. As a matter of fact, the first thing that I always think of before undertaking any action, is "what could possibly go wrong", and then presume it could happen. I take pride in being prepared for the worst-case scenario.

So should everyone else. It goes without saying that if you live in an area that's prone to flooding, is bound to have a tornado or hurricane every year, has the potential for earthquakes, or just happens to be in the path of some type of natural or man-made disaster, common-sense dictates that you and your loved ones should always be aware of, and be prepared for, those potential disasters.

But, no one can prepare for every potential disaster. Some things are resigned to fate. It makes no sense wasting anyone's time and energy attempting to become prepared, or unnecessarily trying to educate (or scare), your kids into being prepared for things out of their control. Kids already have enough problems in their path without having to worry about nonsense like this -

{Sorry - original posted video removed from source link] Here's a replacement video -

A Solution to Corporatocracy?

An interview with Lawrence Lessig on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart discussing his new book - Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress--and a Plan to Stop It.

Lesson From A Stranger

If there are two unfortunate lessons that I learned in life, it's that no good deed goes unpunished and that things aren't always what they seem to be. A clash with a stranger leads to a valuable lesson.


Lesson from a Stranger from Mahmut Akay on Vimeo.

Bad Things | A Short Film

Instead of burying one's mistakes, wouldn't it be wiser to contemplate the consequences that could be derived from one's actions before making the decision to do something unethical or criminal?


BAD THINGS | Short Film (2011) from Magnificent Waste on Vimeo.

The Designer Drug Conundrum

Yesterday, while at the dentist's office, I was reading a "dated" Time magazine and came across a blurb that said Katy Perry's, Teenage Dream album has recently tied with Michael Jackson's album, Bad, for the most #1 hits from a single album.

I mention this only because it made me realize my age, and just how much I may be out of touch with the youth of America. I had no idea who Katy Perry was and have never listened to any of her music. So, it probably goes without saying that I'm probably also out of touch with both the type and scope of designer drugs being abused by our young people today. I can't understand why they would so easily assume the risks associated with abusing these untested drugs?

Regardless of my ignorance, it seems to me that the abuse of designer drugs will probably be the next public health crisis involving young Americans.

I mean, how can the abuse be stopped when the demand for a legal high remains unchanged, and when it's so easy to change the chemical structure of a banned designer drug into a different (but similar) chemical with the same potential for abuse? It seems to me that the criminals can create different designer drugs faster than the medical system can show they cause harm and the legal system eventually ban them.

I just recently read where a purer and more potent form of ecstasy called "Molly" has been created, which has the potential for even greater long-term health damage when abused. Even "bath salts", the current rage in all of the party scenes, are being redesigned to be ten times more potent than the original versions.

Where does it all end? What's it going to take stop the continuous supply and demand for designer drugs? Is it time to just legalize all drugs and let the chips fall where they may? What do you think?

Source: ABC News Channel-15

The Illusion of Politics Redux

You'll notice that, except for pointing out crime, corruption, and hypocrisy, I usually don't discuss politics, either on my blog or on my Twitter account. It's because I've truly come to believe that the political system in America is all just an illusion.

But, I wasn't always that cynical about politics.

In 2008, I had full faith in, and fully supported the election of Barack Obama because I truly thought he would do what is best for America as a whole. It was only shortly after he was elected, during a speech he gave in Mesa, AZ, when he came right out and said "Look, I'm not going after the banks" (or something to that effect), when I fully lost my faith.

It was right at that moment when I realized just how big a fool I was in not seeing that the guy I voted for was just another instrument of Wall Street and the robber barons, and that the whole political system is just a sham, a game played to make it seem like the average American has a say in how our Government operates.

So, when I listen to others adamantly spouting their rhetoric that one party is better than another, I see them as the fools I once was for still believing in a corrupt and failed system. They haven't yet come to realize that it's all an illusion designed by the ruling class to keep us fighting amongst ourselves in order to distract us from their continuing crimes.



This video best describes my beliefs in the system and how I address politics now.

Doctor Kaufalio

It's Monday and my heartfelt appreciation goes out to Dr. Kaufalio, the laboratory scientist who perfected the one medication almost every pharmacist uses daily in their practice. Thank you!


Doctor Kaufalio from Billy Boyd Cape on Vimeo.

Is Vancopime Right For You?

If sepsis is taking so much out of you, ask your doctor about Vancopime.


Hat tip: Megan Hartranft

Prescription Overdose Deaths Double in Arizona

The number of prescription drug overdose deaths had doubled in Arizona, according to the latest report released earlier this week by the Centers for Disease Control. Source: KOLD News-13 Tucson

[originally-posted video link removed from source]

P.A.S.T.

The dark side of retirement from professional football.

[Original video removed by VIMEO author]

Cheating Death With Generic Lipitor

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium tablets) yesterday, much to the consternation of Pfizer, who'll still likely manage to squeeze more profits from it's blockbuster drug.


Stephen Colbert on faux innovation by big pharma to extend patents from BGS Horsman on Vimeo.

No Signal

Cellphones. They are quickly becoming a major part of our everyday lives. Everywhere you look, people are glued to their cellphones. But how did we get here? Are there any health risks associated with cellphone use? Could our obsession and fascination with these devices be creating a cellphone addiction? No Signal is a documentary that explores the often overlooked dark side of cellphone use and the possibility that we are becoming addicted to our cellphones.


No Signal from Modern House Productions on Vimeo.