THIS IS WHAT THE CEO HAS TO SAY...

FROM OUR GRATEFUL HEARTS!

We at PHARMA-GUIDE NIGERIA are very happy to know that indeed a beautiful year 2015 has come to an end. It couldn’t have been this beautiful without the able support of all our readers, crew, patrons & reviewers, fans, friends and well-wishers.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PRAYERS FOR ALL OUR FRIENDS

Here comes Christmas again...

We are most grateful to God for the Word made flesh that has brought salvation to our world. May you and your families be blessed with God's love, peace and guidance this yuletide and more favours in the new year...

We pray with you to be watchful and be security and health conscious as you enjoy your yuletide.
Remember to spread the love of Christmas by visiting and helping people.
If you must drink, do not drive..
Don't be extravagant during Christmas, there is a January
Remember to pray for Nigeria

All of us at PHARMA-GUIDE NIGERIA wish you the very best of the season. We are here for you, always!
~ Pharm. Joe Ebirim (on behalf of Spyceworld Entertainment & Pharma-Guide Nigeria)

[SPEEDY INTERVENTION INTO FMC OWERRI CRISES] FG appoints interim management committee

We have it from reliable sources that the Federal Government has speedily attended to the crises rocking Federal Medical Centre, Owerri by appointing a new interim Management committee to be led by Professor Ndubuisi Eke, a

CONTRAINDICATION: Risk of fatal interaction – Ceftriaxone (Rocephine® Mesporin®) and Calcium-containing infusions (e.g. Ringer’s lactate)

Ringer’s lactate injection USP is an intravenous fluid used as an electrolyte replacement solution for restoring fluid-electrolyte balance as well as an alkalinizing agent. A 250ml product contains the following:

[BREAKING NEWS] FG SHUTS DOWN FMC OWERRI: Just before this lingers, Dear Hon. MInister

Our watchful eyes and anxious ears have finally been greeted with mixed feelings following a preliminary action over the fate of the embattled Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri – the order of closure of the Centre by the Federal Government through the Minister of Health - following series of industrial actions which has plagued it since the first half of the year 2015.

Okra...and so what?

OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus, Fam. Malvaceae) is a multipurpose crop because of the usefulness its fresh leaves, buds, flowers, pods, stems and seeds.

MEDICINAL USES

1. The mucilage obtained from cooking okra fruits can be used as a plasma replacement or blood volume expander

Ihiagwa Community gets Free-Medical Outreach from a kind "Hart"

Facilitator, Pharm. Ibitamuno Hart

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 will remain a memorable date in the hearts of the people of Ihiagwa Community in Owerri, Imo State, a day they trooped out in their numbers to enjoy the free medical services brought to them by a non-indigene of the community presently serving her fatherland, a kind hearted corper-pharmacist, Miss Ibitamuno Meshack-Hart.

CODEINE ABUSE: A ticking time bomb, says Pharmacist Odoh Joshua

 

The increasing rate of abuse and addiction of the opiate narcotic drug, codeine has in recent years drawn the attention of public health advocates and other concerned citizens, one of whom is Pharmacist Joshua Jamine Odoh, a Lagos based Hospital pharmacist with previous experience in community practice in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. In a chat with Pharma-Guide Nigeria correspondents (on July 11, 2015),

WHILE RUNNING FROM HIV/AIDS, take this Quick refresher of your STD knowledge...

 

Today, we stir our focus towards Sexually Transmitted Diseases or Infections commonly abbreviated as STDs or STIs. While we have a great population of people who still do not believe that HIV/AIDS is real, there are also those who also think less of the devastating consequences of contacting STIs.

ALERT ON DRUG INTERACTION: Iron (Ferrous salts) vs Methyldopa (Aldomet® Dopatab®)

Drug interactions occur in everyday prescriptions at health facilities and they form one of the consequences of polypharmacy, pharmacotherapy of geriatrics (old people), presence of kidney or liver dysfunction and use of drugs with narrow therapeutic index. 

DOWNLOAD FREE COPIES OF THE 2ND EDITION OF PHARMA-GUIDE DIGEST

PHARMA-GUIDE NIGERIA is glad to present to you the 2nd Edition of its publication, The Pharma-Guide Digest. In this Nov/Dec edition, we send our seasons greetings to all our readers and friends as well as wishes and prayers of a warm, memorable and happy yuletide and a prosperous new year ahead. We wish to congratulate Miss Nwachukwu Esther, a 400 level student of Imo State University for winning our puzzle contest in the premier edition and for her lovely message to Phasrma-Guide Digest. We also hope you read our drug tip and Inspirational Quote of the Month.

FMC OWERRI SHUTS DOWN AGAIN; Government Health Services back to comatose in Imo State

Federal Medical Centre, Owerri

The people of Imo State of Nigeria have continued to cry out as their only hope of government-run health facility, Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, remains locked and void of comprehensive medical services.
Although, skeletal services continue unhindered for for the benefit of the HIV patients at the HEART-2-HEART UNIT, a vast majority of citizens are unable to enjoy other health services.


This problem is further worsened by the fact that many of the state-owned hospitals have been closed following the decision of the state government to privatise services at the hospitals amidst issues of unpaid salaries and other industrial issues.

The people of Imo state are calling on the federal government to come to their help as calls to persuade the Owelle Rochas Okorocha-led government to better the health state of the Eastern Heartland has fallen on deaf ears. The people of the state have continued to express their prayers for a speedy resolution of all issues stalling the smooth running of the Federal Medical centre as they cannot afford the high cost of medical services offered by private clinics in the state worst still, given the present economic challenges.

   BREAKING NEWS: FMC workers have chosen one of the options offered by the Hon Minister of Health that Medical Director as well as members of Top Management Committee (TMC) will be replaced, work likely to resume before the end of the week...

STILL ON HIV AWARENESS: HOW LONG DOES HIV STAY OUTSIDE THE BODY?

The question about how long HIV stays in the body is one that has drawn attention especially when the subject of sharing sharp objects or being injured by sharp objects that may have previously pricked a HIV-positive individual, is mentioned.
It is also important to answer this Frequently asked question as part of efforts to stop discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS.

THE ANSWER:
HIV is a very fragile virus outside the body which is its primary host. The life span of HIV outside of the body has not been determined.
For HIV to survive outside the body, it will require a body fluid, very low temperatures which vary with the type of body fluids (-70°C for fresh blood or about 4°C for dried blood), absence of air, not too acidic nor alkaline environment (controlled pH of not less than 7 and not more than 8), concentration of viral particles, etc

Because these conditions are mostly laboratory conditions and in most cases not obtainable outside the body, it is very difficult for HIV to thrive outside the body.

In areas like a syringe or on a razor in a medicine cabinet, HIV would probably live longer because of less airflow and it's a more moist temperature controlled area.

Other points to note:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV is easily killed outside the human body and therefore can only be transmitted directly from person to person, either by sexual contact, exchange of blood or body fluids or from mother to child. Sexual transmission of the HIV is relatively inefficient and repeated unprotected exposures are normally required. HIV incidence and prevalence can vary greatly from country to country and even within countries, depending on several risk factors and risk behaviours. Since the HIV epidemic is driven mainly by sexual transmission, the level and intensity of risk behaviours (vaginal or anal unprotected sex) in a given community are the main determinants of the spread of the virus.

According to aidsmap.com,
- HIV transmission has not been reported as a consequence of contact with spillages of blood, semen or other body fluids. Nevertheless awareness of the possible persistence of viable HIV in body fluids will encourage observation of infection control procedures.
- The chances of getting infected with HIV from water, nail prick from the ground, sewage, is quite low...

In summary, HIV can't survive outside the body. In minutes it will die and be harmless, but Universal Precautions such as safe sex, appropriate blood screening and transfusion procedures, etc should always be used.
Antibiotics have no preventive role against HIV.

VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
HIV- positive persons who take their medicines religiously will enjoy good health and live normal lives as any other person in the society. It is wise to get tested and live responsibly.

Sources: 

http://www.afanlv.org

http://www.aidsmap.com/Survival-outside-the-body/page/1321278/

http://helpline.aidsvancouver.org/what-we-do/helpline/online/how-much-seconds-or-minutes-exactly-hiv-virus-remains-alive-outside-humanhttp://

www.who.int/hiv/abouthiv/en/

KILLED: THE LION WHICH ESCAPED FROM WILD LIFE PARK IN JOS...

The Lion which escaped its cage earlier today at the Wild Life Park has been reportedly killed. The Lion has been at the park since 1972 and was about to be fed when it slipped away into the park. 

OUR EARLIER REPORT

Report reaching us now has it that a Lion who was to be fed has just escaped its cage at the WILD LIFE PARK in Jos, the capital of Plateau State of Nigeria. The fear is that the wild life park is not fenced. 

However, efforts are in top gear to apprehend the strayed Lion. Mewnwhile , this serve to inform people to be conscious of the missing wild animal. This is surely a threat to lives if the situation is not arrested immediately.