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AUGUST 19, 2016
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
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Pharma cy 4 11 Very little if anything about healthcare is inexpensive, and that includes medicine. Tiny pills can command large prices. Over-the-counter medications may be less expensive, but are they also less effective? Find the answers to lots of your drug store questions in this column written by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson exclusively for the Medical Examiner.
TIME FOR SCHOOL!
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t’s time for the children to go back to school and that brings trips to the doctor and pharmacy. Parents must get their kids seen by the doctor and some medicines that have been put on the back shelf for the summer once again come to the forefront of the daily routine. Let’s talk a little bit about some of the different types of medicine that you may need to get in step with school being back in session. The start of the school year might bring to mind the need for medicines to help the some kids focus and learn in the classroom. Medicines for Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, are the first ones that see an increase with the start of school. A lot of parents take their kids off these medicines for the summer and will restart when classes resume. For the most part, these medicines require a new prescription from your doctor each month. This requires coordination with the doctor’s office to get the prescription written and ready for pick-up. The prescription must then be taken to the pharmacy and filled. Pharmacies will probably be struggling to deal with the increased demand for these medicines the first month of school. Another medicine that will inevitably see an increase is for treating head lice. It happens to just about every classroom sooner or later. The first line choice for head lice is the over-thecounter medicine permethrin. It is available as the brand name Nix and its various generics. Insurance companies that cover over the counter treatments for head lice will cover this medicine as first line therapy, but often insurance will cover only prescription medications. If Nix does not work for the particular strain of head lice involved then a prescription medicines will be the only option. There are a few prescription treatments, which include Ovide and spinosad as the most often used options. These will be used if necessary. Any chronic itching of the scalp should
be checked, since these pests can spread like wildfire through a family or a classroom. Look for live bugs in addition to the eggs, called nits. These are tiny white sacks that are attached to the base of hair strands. To prevent a head lice infestation use the following guidelines: do not allow any head-to-head contact or share any items that come in contact with the head, such as combs and hats. If the problem does show its ugly head treat all affected people and be sure and check all affected and other family members one week after treatment to ensure complete eradication. Include all pillowcases and other bedding and other items that may have comes in contact with the hair. Another item that may become more important as the school year proceeds is a vitamin program. This may seem strange to say but as any pharmacy or doctor can tell you, colds and infections, both viral and bacterial, will increase when school is in session. Boosting the immune system early on in the back-to-school process will help kids fend off these extra infections and prevent missed days from school. A vitamin regimen is great preventive medicine, and can provide a boost for the immune system and health in general. For kids in particular, it can supplement the diets of those who are picky eaters or whose favorite foods are fast foods. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for their recommendation for your child. Here’s to staying healthy throughout the 2016-2017 school year. But remember if the unforeseen happens the pharmacy will be there for you. + Questions about this article or suggestions for future columns can be sent to us at cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net Written for the Medical Examiner by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson (cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net )
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