Drugs & Sun Sensitivity, Food Borne Illness, and How The Pharmacist Can Help If You Run Out of Prescription Refills
These are the topics we deal with in this month’s newsletter, The Mortar & Pestle.
Drugs & Sun Sensitivity
Drugs reacting with sunlight? This might be hard to believe but it’s true. Photo-toxic reactions can occur when a drug absorbs UVA energy and releases that energy into the surrounding skin resulting in tissue damage. This shows up as a severe sun burn – no matter the skin type. Why is this you ask? Good question! This is a transfer of energy that is initiated by the absorption of UV energy by a drug molecule, which cannot be protected against by more melanin, the skin’s natural tanning pigment. Very little UVA exposure is required to trigger this reaction, which means that despite a healthy amount of melanin being present in the skin of many dark skinned people, in this situation melanin is unable to prevent the reaction and therefore offers little protection from these photo-toxic reactions.
Food Borne Illness: Not The Way To Spend Your Summer
For many, summer means BBQ’s and picnics – delish! While the heat is on the rise, food borne illnesses (aka food poisonings) are too. Bacteria multiply much faster in the summer heat, so food safety is even more important in the summer months.
No Refills for Your Prescriptions?
In Alberta, pharmacists are able to assess patients and renew prescriptions for a limited quantity of time if they deem necessary. You need to read this to find out what is required so the pharmacist can renew your prescription.
All this in the August issue of The Mortar & Pestle.
