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Handbook Targets High Blood Pressure
nated melanoma is a killed vaccine of Corynebacterium parvum . This vaccine stimulates the body 's own immune system to fight the cancer. Dacarbazine and Actinomycin-D are both forms of chemotherapy, while Corynebacterium parvum treatment is a form of immunotherapy. Stephen W. Hall, MD, and his coworkers in Houston have shown that caution must be exercised in combination therapy because of possible negative interactions between or among the agents used . For example, the effectiveness of Dacarbazine therapy is reduced when Corynebacterium parvum vaccine is given along with it. And a combination of Dacarbazine, Corynebacterium parvum vaccine, and Actinomycin-D is a more effective treatment for disseminated melanoma than Dacarbazine and Corynebacterium parvum vaccine alone . This is apparently due to complex interactions among the three agents. Dacarbazine must be activated by the liver before it is effective . Corynebacterium parvum is toxic to the liver and may prevent the activation of Dacarbazine. Actinomycin-D, on the other hand, blocks Corynebacterium parvum's toxic effect, thus allowing Dacarbazine to become activated . Interactions between immunotherapy and chemotherapy must be investigated and understood, since they could alter the effectiveness of anticancer treatment, depending upon the drugs and immunotherapeutic agents used as well as on their routes and schedules of administration .
New Antibiotic Medical results with cefoxitin, the first of a new family of antibiotics, the cephamycins, shown to be effective against a wide range of infectious bacteria, were reported at the 10th International Congress of Chemotherapy held in Zurich in September. Forty clinical investigators representing more than 16 countries presented papers on their experience with cefoxitin, which is expected to be available soon in Europe. According to the investigators, cefoxitin is a promising new therapeutic agent because of its demonAmerican Pharmacy VOl. NS18, NO. 1, JAN , 1978 /33
strated effectiveness against organisms resistant to other betalactam antibiotics . Clinical studies have shown that it considerably extends the range of activity of betalactam antibiotics, while retaining the safety aspects generally attributed to this class . Beta-Iactam antibiotics include penicillins, cephalosporins, and cephamycins. They are currently one of the most widely used classes of antibiotics because of their effectiveness against numerous important bacterial causes of infection and because of their
relatively high degree of safety. But currently available penicillins and cephalosporins are reduced in their effectiveness by those pathogenic bacteria which have developed resistance to them. In addition, these antibiotics, as presently available, have some innate limitations in the numbers of pathogenic organisms against which they are effective. Unlike most other beta-Iactam antibiotics, cefoxitin has demonstrated effectiveness in infections caused by both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
Handbook Targets High Blood Pressure A new handbook outlining the organization of high blood pressure services in community and institutional pharmacies was published last October and is available to pharmacists at no charge from the Merck Sharp & Dohme pharmaceutical company, West Point, Pennsylvania . The Practicing Pharmacist's Handbook, a cooperative effort of the American Pharmaceutical Association, the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and Merck Sharp & Dohme, is designed to enable pharmacists to set up their own programs for the control of hypertension- a factor in more than 800,000 first heart attacks or first strokes each year in the United States. The Handbook seeks to enlist the assistance of the 120,000 practitioners working in community and institutional pharmacies in the detection and control of hypertension . The Handbook provides pharmacists with background information on high blood pressure, as well as models for monitoring medication, patient compliance, and blood pressure itself. The models contain sample patient charts which are designed to be reproduced; the last section of the Handbook contains listings and illustrations of both lay and professional educational materials and information sources . The Handbook was officially pre..: sen ted to the pharmacy profession during ceremonies held at the John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. In his presentation remarks, Merck Sharp & Dohme president John E. Lyons described the Handbook as " ... a comprehensive yet practical source of materials designed to assist the practicing pharmacist in providing additional encouragement to patients to stay with their therapy ." William S. Apple, APhA executive director, accepted the Handbook on behalf of the association's members . Apple pointed out " ... the possibilities the Handbook affords various health care practitioners and the hypertensive patient to collaborate effectively to promote rational drug therapy and thereby quality patient care." Robert I. Levy, Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, was also presented with a copy of the Handbook. According to Levy, the Handbook is an excellent means of " ... providing a comprehensive, directed approach· to the problem from the viewpoint of the pharmacist and encouraging participation of this entire discipline of health professionals." MS & 0 is in the process of distributing the Handbook to pharmacists across the country . Pharmacists who have not received a copy may obtain one by writing to George Baker, Manager of Professional ' Services, Merck Sharp & Oohme, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486.
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New Antibiotic Medical results with cefoxitin, the first of a new family of antibiotics, the cephamycins, shown to be effective against a wide range of infectious bacteria, were reported at the 10th International Congress of Chemotherapy held in Zurich in September. Forty clinical investigators representing more than 16 countries presented papers on their experience with cefoxitin, which is expected to be available soon in Europe. According to the investigators, cefoxitin is a promising new therapeutic agent because of its demonAmerican Pharmacy VOl. NS18, NO. 1, JAN , 1978 /33
strated effectiveness against organisms resistant to other betalactam antibiotics . Clinical studies have shown that it considerably extends the range of activity of betalactam antibiotics, while retaining the safety aspects generally attributed to this class . Beta-Iactam antibiotics include penicillins, cephalosporins, and cephamycins. They are currently one of the most widely used classes of antibiotics because of their effectiveness against numerous important bacterial causes of infection and because of their
relatively high degree of safety. But currently available penicillins and cephalosporins are reduced in their effectiveness by those pathogenic bacteria which have developed resistance to them. In addition, these antibiotics, as presently available, have some innate limitations in the numbers of pathogenic organisms against which they are effective. Unlike most other beta-Iactam antibiotics, cefoxitin has demonstrated effectiveness in infections caused by both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
Handbook Targets High Blood Pressure A new handbook outlining the organization of high blood pressure services in community and institutional pharmacies was published last October and is available to pharmacists at no charge from the Merck Sharp & Dohme pharmaceutical company, West Point, Pennsylvania . The Practicing Pharmacist's Handbook, a cooperative effort of the American Pharmaceutical Association, the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and Merck Sharp & Dohme, is designed to enable pharmacists to set up their own programs for the control of hypertension- a factor in more than 800,000 first heart attacks or first strokes each year in the United States. The Handbook seeks to enlist the assistance of the 120,000 practitioners working in community and institutional pharmacies in the detection and control of hypertension . The Handbook provides pharmacists with background information on high blood pressure, as well as models for monitoring medication, patient compliance, and blood pressure itself. The models contain sample patient charts which are designed to be reproduced; the last section of the Handbook contains listings and illustrations of both lay and professional educational materials and information sources . The Handbook was officially pre..: sen ted to the pharmacy profession during ceremonies held at the John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. In his presentation remarks, Merck Sharp & Dohme president John E. Lyons described the Handbook as " ... a comprehensive yet practical source of materials designed to assist the practicing pharmacist in providing additional encouragement to patients to stay with their therapy ." William S. Apple, APhA executive director, accepted the Handbook on behalf of the association's members . Apple pointed out " ... the possibilities the Handbook affords various health care practitioners and the hypertensive patient to collaborate effectively to promote rational drug therapy and thereby quality patient care." Robert I. Levy, Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, was also presented with a copy of the Handbook. According to Levy, the Handbook is an excellent means of " ... providing a comprehensive, directed approach· to the problem from the viewpoint of the pharmacist and encouraging participation of this entire discipline of health professionals." MS & 0 is in the process of distributing the Handbook to pharmacists across the country . Pharmacists who have not received a copy may obtain one by writing to George Baker, Manager of Professional ' Services, Merck Sharp & Oohme, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486.
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