[OCT. 24, 2000]  This week is National Pharmacy Week, and the theme is "Educate Before you Medicate." That is exactly what pharmacist Jim White of Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital stressed when he visited the Oasis Senior Center this morning. White began his presentation by reminding those at the Oasis Center that the present political debate over prescription drugs is not new. The first time a prescription drug plan was proposed for legislation was around the time of Watergate. The second proposal was only four years ago.

White discussed generic drugs, natural or herbal products and drug interactions. He also answered the attendees’ questions. His general advice concerning all drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and natural herbs is (1) read labels and pay attention to all the detail and (2) ask your doctor or pharmacist any time you have questions.

In his presentation on generic drugs, White gave an overview of the process of developing a drug and making the generic equivalent. He explained that generic drugs must meet the same FDA approval as the brand-name drugs. The average brand-name drug costs a company $500 million from the time of its development until it is approved for the market. The developing company receives a 17-year patent and revenue of approximately one billion dollars a year from a successful drug. White admits that the prices are very high and asks if the company must cover all of its expenditures in the first year. He says, however, that for every drug that is so successful, the drug companies begin or fully develop drugs that are not successful.

A year or two before a drug’s patent expires, generic drug manufacturers begin developing a generic equivalent. White emphasized that the generic drug companies must submit the same documentation that the brand-name company originally submitted. This proves to the FDA that the generic drug is a genuine equivalent to the brand name. Also about this time, the brand-name company works to improve their original drug, so as to stay in competition with the generic drug.

White’s advice about generic and brand-name drugs is to know what you take, why you take it and the dosage that you take. In comparing generic and brand-name drugs, ask the pharmacist if the generic is AB rated, that is, does it receive the FDA’s highest rating of drugs. White says that most generic drugs are AB rated, but some are not.

Next, White turned to natural or herbal products. Often he hears the argument that herbs are natural products and will not harm you. His response is, "Well, arsenic is a natural product." White does not dismiss herbal products but reminds those who purchase them that they are unregulated. Herbal products may make any claims, but there is no one to research or check the claims. A retired doctor in the audience said that much of the proof for natural products is anecdotal, such as, "My uncle said …." Also, herbs are known to interact with prescription medicine, so watch for problems and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you begin using them.

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White suggests and uses "The Honest Herbal" by Yarro E. Tyler of Purdue University. He says that Tyler gives an overview of many herbs and specifically states if they are known to meet their claims or if they do not work.

If you take herbs and a doctor or pharmacist asks what medicines you take, include all prescription medicines, regular over-the-counter medicines and the herbal products you take. Do not forget to list the herbs, because they do often interact with or inhibit certain drugs.

The question-and-answer time focused on vitamins. White said that taking 1200 to 1500 mg a day of calcium supplements around and after menopause is generally a good idea, but always weigh the risks and benefits with your doctor. He admits that this and other supplements may be expensive, but preventative measures almost always save money and pain down the road.

White has seen the medical community swing from negating the usefulness of vitamins to overemphasizing the use of vitamins. Now the medical community has taken a moderate position. He believes that multivitamins are sufficient unless you have a specific deficiency. He recommends a product with vitamins and minerals that is produced by a brand name. Again, talk to your doctor or pharmacist first. White is reserving judgment on the multivitamin-herbal supplement mixes. He sees the companies combining two popular markets into one, but he does not believe that he has enough information yet to make a decision.

At the meeting, White handed out brief articles listing what he believed to be good advice for anyone taking medication. The information originally came from the September/October 2000 issue of "Illinois Pharmacist." Please take the time to read those recommendations below.

Click here for "Tips for choosing a pharmacist."

Click here for "Safety tips from your pharmacist."

[Jean Ann Carnley]

[OCT. 24, 2000]  When choosing a pharmacist, many people simply look for a pharmacy that is convenient, either close to home or work. But location is only one of the things to consider in choosing a pharmacist who is the right match for you and your family.

Your pharmacist should be someone you know and trust. You should give as much consideration to choosing your pharmacist as you do to choosing a doctor. Pharmacists are health-care professionals specializing in medicines and their appropriate use. Because of this, your pharmacist plays an important role in your personal health care.

To help you select the one that is right for you, consider the following tips:

Stop by several pharmacies and speak with the pharmacist. Ask about the services offered, their expertise in disease management and any special needs you may have.

Often a pharmacist may help you with special circumstances, such as when you are taking care of an elderly relative. If you have aging parents that live nearby, you might ask, for example, if it is possible to deliver prescriptions to their home and send the bill to you.

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Will the pharmacy accept your insurance coverage? Does the pharmacy accept your credit cards? Is it possible to set up an account?

How accessible is the pharmacist? Is he or she easy to talk to and willing to hear your concerns? During what hours is the pharmacist available to answer your questions?

It is important to choose one pharmacist with whom you can establish an ongoing relationship. Also, by choosing one pharmacy, a complete record of the medicines you take is in one place, making them easier to coordinate and manage. Your pharmacist can alert you to possible drug interactions, particularly if you take a number of different medications; help you track refills on important prescriptions; and provide necessary detail on short notice.

[from the September/October 2000
Illinois Pharmacist]

[OCT. 24, 2000]  The American Pharmaceutical Association, representing the nation’s pharmacists, suggests the following guidelines to prevent medicine mix-ups:

• Be sure that your name is on every container of medication. If the drug is for a child, be sure that the pharmacy puts the child’s name on the label.
• Never take a medication out of its original container to store it.
• Highlight the patient’s name and the expiration date with a marker so that they can be easily seen. Use a different color marker for each member of the family
• Read the entire label every time you take medication yourself or give it to a family member. 
• Don’t take medication in the dark, and wear your glasses.

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• If you have stopped taking a particular medicine but have some left, check with your pharmacist or doctor. Many medications should be taken until they are all gone, and having leftovers could indicate that the medication was not taken properly.
• Throw away any medicine that has not been used in six months.
• Do not share medicines. Only the patient for whom it was prescribed should take medication.
• Keep a permanent list of all medications taken by each family member.

[from the September/October 2000
Illinois Pharmacist]

[OCT. 23, 2000]  Services and visitation will be in Lincoln on Tuesday for Daniel C. Ott of Sebree, Ky., son of longtime Abraham Lincoln portrayer Charles Ott of Lincoln. Daniel Ott, 42, died on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Clay, Ky., as a result of a one-vehicle accident.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 24) at Zion Lutheran Church in Lincoln, with the Rev. Mark D. Carnahan officiating. Burial will be in Zion Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home, Lincoln.

Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran School.

Daniel C. Ott, son of Charles and Majorie Reigert Ott, was born Aug. 15, 1958, at Pekin. He graduated from Lincoln Community High School and from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. He was director of operations at Ervin Cable Construction Company of Sturgis, Ky. He married Susan L. George. She survives.

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Other survivors include his parents of Lincoln; three sons, Steven Ott, Samuel Ott and Spencer Ott, all of Sebree; three daughters, Sarah Ott, Savannah Ott and Steffanie Ott, all of Sebree; a brother, Douglas S. Ott of Boise, Idaho; and two sisters, Terri Lee Keith of Normal and Cynthia A. Buchwald of Manvulle, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents.

[Joan Crabb]

[OCT. 23, 2000]  Red Ribbon Week was established in memory of a local narcotics officer who fell in the line of duty. It is intended to bring awareness of drug and alcohol issues, particularly targeting our youth. 

Schedule for Red Ribbon Week

Tuesday, Oct. 24

• Grim Reaper Day at Lincoln Junior High School

• Ecstasy Education Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Park District

Wednesday, Oct. 25

• HYPE puppet show at Jefferson School at 1 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 26

• HYPE balloon launch at LJHS at 2:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 27

• HYPE car wash at Kroger, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Logan County Snowball event at Lincoln Community High School

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Grim Reaper Day

Every 15 minutes, a person is killed in a drinking and driving accident. Grim Reaper Day is a day to show the effects of drinking and driving on our society. HYPE members have signed up to represent a person who will be killed due to the effects of alcohol on drivers.

Every 15 minutes a HYPE member will be pulled from his/her class by the Grim Reaper. They will have their face painted white, they will dress in black or dark colored clothing and will not be allowed to speak the rest of the day. HYPE member have been told that if they are called on in class, they must participate.

Taps will be played before each class period and a list of those who "died" will be read.

[News release from Kristi Simpson,
prevention specialist]

[OCT. 20, 2000]  Funding for senior citizens groups, employee pay raises, economic development and allocation of the money from the County Farm fund — some of the fiscal year 2001 budget items brought to the Logan County Board by the finance committee — were approved Thursday evening, but only after more than two hours of discussion and a series of failed motions.

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[Joan Crabb]

[click here for a letter related to the allocation of the $67,500 in the new Senior Citizens Fund]

[OCT. 20, 2000]  The Oasis had a Social Security update Tuesday morning at the 501 Pulaski St. Senior Center. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., Annette Farris, of the Springfield district Social Security office, answered questions and explained the policies for various government benefits.

The Springfield Social Security district office, which services Logan and six other counties, is one of many district offices in Illinois. Farris listed Bloomington, Decatur and Champaign as having their own district offices. These district offices handle Social Security (SS), disability, Medicare, survivor, black lung and supplemental security income (SSI) benefits.

Annette Farris is well acquainted with Lincoln’s Oasis Center. She comes once a month to discuss Social Security and related issues with individuals who have questions about the system and benefits.

Another way to get information or help filing a claim is to contact the Springfield district office. The district office is located on West Monroe Street in Springfield. They are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Farris stresses making appointments, because it will decrease the time one spends in the waiting room. Also, if someone cannot come to the office, a Social Security representative will conduct a meeting over the phone and fill out the paperwork.

Since its beginning in 1935, Social Security has undergone many changes. Farris travels around to answer questions, because the laws and policies undergo slight, but important, changes every year. Farris said that one of her favorite changes is direct deposit. At first, she was skeptical because she believed manually depositing the check was reassuring. Now she praises the convenience of direct deposit. For example, one does not have to worry about the paper check being delivered to someone else’s home.

During the meeting Tuesday morning, Annette Farris discussed and answered questions about Social Security retirement, disability, survivor and Medicare benefits.

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One important point that Farris stressed was how the age at which a person begins collecting benefits affects the total amount of benefits he receives. Age 62 is the earliest one may begin collecting benefits; however, collecting at this age will reduce one’s benefits permanently. Those individuals born in 1938 or after must be 65 years and two months old to collect full benefits. Those born in 1960 or after must be 67 years old to collect full benefits. People collecting benefits between age 62 and their respective cutoff date will reduce their benefits permanently. People who do not collect Social Security retirement until ages 65 to 70 will receive delayed retirement credits.

To qualify for retirement benefits, one must have worked for at least a total of 10 years. The payments people receive are calculated based on their 35 highest years of income after 1951.

In the past, individuals collecting Social Security benefits were allowed to earn only $10,080 a year and still receive their full benefits. A new law allows individuals to earn any amount without jeopardizing their retirement benefits.

Farris encourages individuals to file three months before they want or need to receive benefits.

People are reminded that the laws and policies about these benefits are constantly changing, so it is important to keep informed. The Social Security Administration has a website to help: www.ssa.gov. They also have a toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, and a TTY number for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, 1-800-325-0778. There is recorded information on these lines 24 hours a day, and callers can speak to a service representative between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days.

[Jean Ann Carnley]

[OCT. 11, 2000]  Beginning Monday, Oct. 16, the Lincoln City Landfill will be open extended hours to allow residents to dispose of leaves and yard waste, according to Donnie Osborne, street superintendent. The landfill will open at 8 a.m. and remain open until 4 p.m. seven days a week, probably until mid-December, he said. Residents may bring in leaves any way they like — in bags, boxes or pickup trucks — but they must take the leaves out of the containers and take the containers back home with them.

[OCT. 10, 2000]  The office of the city clerk in Lincoln will be open for filing petitions for nomination for the Feb. 27, 2001, consolidated primary election, with petitions accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following dates: Dec. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 18.

Petitions will be accepted for the following city offices:

• Mayor
• City treasurer
• City clerk
• Alderman Ward 1
• Alderman Ward 2
• Alderman Ward 3
• Alderman Ward 4

• Alderman Ward 5

[Juanita Josserand, city clerk]

[OCT. 9, 2000]  Registered voters expecting to be absent from the county on the Nov. 7 election day may vote in person at the Logan County Clerk’s Office, second floor, Courthouse, Room 20, Lincoln, from now until Nov. 6.

Election Authority

[OCT. 7, 2000]  Following is a list of budget requests that were heard by the Logan County Board Finance Committee on Aug. 11, 16 and 17. These requests will be compiled by the auditor and matched with the anticipated revenue for the 2001 fiscal year (Dec. 1). The finance committee will then review these numbers, make necessary adjustments and prepare a recommendation to the entire County Board in the next month. There will be a public meeting entirely devoted to budget matters in the future.

Rod White, finance chairman, 732-4793

* Paramedics: new ambulance, $90,000

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* Superintendent of schools: if office is moved, the county will have to provide all of the rental money, $20,000

* Animal control: to replace old animal-transport unit on truck, $10,000

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