March 2010 Central Nervous System

Additional online resources from other publications in the HCPlive network.

Caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients should understand the symptoms, stages, and treatments for AD, which is the most common form of dementia. Because AD can take a toll on friends and family members as well, tips for helping caregivers cope are also included.

Between 1 and 10 of every 100 children have Tourette's syndrome (TS), a neurodevelopmental disorder with characteristic tics. Pharmacologic and behavioral approaches to treatment for TS are discussed.

Cervarix (human papillomavirus bivalent [types 16 and 18] vaccine, recombinant) was approved by the FDA for use in girls and women aged 10 to 25 for the prevention of cervical precancers and cervical cancer associated with oncogenic human papillomaviras types 16 and 18.

When patients have immunodeficiency conditions that require immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG), clinicians must consider carefully which IVIG product will have the fewest adverse effects and the highest level of efficacy.

Kristen Zeitler finds the field of pharmacy to be a rewarding balance of academic challenge and helping others.

Pharmacists are likely to see Parkinson's patients or their caregiver frequently because of the disease's slow and chronic course. Pharmacists need to e particularly vigilant about medication interactions and ensure doing changes are gradual.

Insomnia is a condition that can have psychological, environmental, and pharmacologic causes. There are many OTC sleep aids available for individuals who need them, and pharmacists can help patients choose appropriately.

Patients commonly relieve their pain with OTC analgesics without a complete understanding of the potential adverse effects and drug interactions with these products.

Placing a prescription "on hold" in the pharmacy computer system and bagging errors are possible causes of medication errors. Tips are presented here to avoid such errors.

Should a pharmacist be evaluated by a pharmacist-derived standard or a physician-derived standard when a patient alleges damages due to a violation of the standard of care during medication therapy management?

Prevention is key in preventing pharmacy robberies. If a burglary does occur, there are actions a pharmacist can take to reduce the risk of violence and ensure the safety of pharmacy staff.

Insomnia is a frustrating condition that affects 40% of adults at some time in their life. After obtaining a good patient history, pharmacists can counsel individuals on the behavioral and pharmacologic options for treatment.

As an increasing number of drugs make the Rx-to-OTC switch, an opportunity exists for pharmacists to take a more active role in the recommendation of OTC products.

The debate surrounding whether an interaction occurs between oral contraceptives and antibiotics continues. It the use of antibiotics with oral contraceptives likely to result in an unintended pregnancy?

Caregivers may be alarmed by delirium's sudden onset and the drastic behavior changes it brings. Pharmacists should be prepared to advise that delirium is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.