Drug Topics - May 12, 2008 - (Page 56)

56 DRUG TOPICS MAY 12, 2008 www.drugtopics.com Self-Care Probiotics are all the rage: How you can capitalize on it Sandra Levy hen Kelly Karpa’s two-year-old son was diagnosed with Clostridium difficile diarrhea in 2001, and his symptoms didn’t disappear after antibiotic therapy, Karpa took him to Johns Hopkins University. There he was treated by a physician who had experience with probiotics. For 10 days Karpa’s son was given six grams of bacteria as well as vancomycin, one of the prescriptions he had already been taking. “For the first time in 10 months, when we stopped the vancomycin, the symptoms did not return. That was my wake-up call. As a healthcare professional, I had until then gone by the mantra of ‘Stay away from these natural products because they are not good,’” said Karpa, Ph.D., R.Ph., assistant professor, department of pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of W A sampling of probiotic products Everidis Health Sciences is offering BioGaia Probiotic Drops. The oil suspension product is available in a drop form delivery system to allow easy administration to infants. The ingredient in BioGaia is Lactobacillus reuteri. American Lifeline is providing Florajen3 for restoring and maintaining gastrointestinal health. Ingredients include lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidobacterium bifidum Bb-12, and bifidobacterium longum. Biocodex markets Florastor and FlorastorKids. Both probiotics contain live yeast cells and are intended to promote and maintain intestinal health and normal bowel function. Both products are made of live freeze-dried yeast cells of the species Saccharomyces boulardii. Natren Inc. is rolling out Trenev Trio capsules. The delivery system utilizes sunflower oil and vitamin E, which have all oxygen and water removed to create a totally anaerobic environment, which the company claims is ideal for keeping the bacteria in a state of arrested growth until they are introduced into your system and are ready to act at peak performance. Amerifit Brands Inc. markets Culturelle, which contains lactobacillus GG (LGG). Nature’s Bounty is making available Probiotic Acidophilus Dietary Supplement Capsules. Sustenex is a probiotic from Ganeden Biotech. It contains GanedenBC30, a proprietary, patented strain of Bacillus coagulans designed to help promote immune and digestive fitness. Medicine and author of Bacteria for Breakfast: Probiotics for Good Health. Probiotics are live microorganisms or “friendly” bacteria that when consumed in adequate amounts may provide health benefits. Classified as dietary supplements, they can also be found in a variety of fermented products, such as yogurt. The field of probiotics is exploding, fueled by studies published in the United States as well as an increased awareness among patients. David Sullivan, president of American Lifeline Inc., commented, “Healthcare professionals are finally recognizing that the benefits of quality probiotics are outweighing the risks.” Noting that 20% to 25% of people who take an antibiotic will develop antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Karpa said, “Of those people who get diarrhea, a fraction will go on to develop Clostridium difficile diarrhea. It is estimated that three million Americans live with C. difficile diarrhea and they cannot get rid of it,” she said. Here’s where probiotics come in handy. Karpa said that clinical studies show that probiotics are not only helpful in reducing and maintaining remission of inflammatory bowel conditions, they are also beneficial in treating food allergies in children and recurrent vaginal infections. Karpa advises pharmacists who want to sell and counsel on probiotics to do the following: •Refrigerate probiotics in the pharmacy or they will lose 25% of their viable organisms every three to four months. •Know the number of bacteria guaranteed through the expiration date, not at the time of manufacture. The product should have a count of 10 to 20 billion per dose guaranteed through the expiration date. •Products that contain lactobacillus or bifido bacteria are recommended. •Avoid products with soil-based organisms (SBO) because some of the organisms contained in the SBO products are spore formers. “If they leave the intestinal tract and go somewhere else in the body, they can cause an infection that is nearly impossible to get rid of.” •Advise patients that they may experience short-lived gastrointestinal cramping/bloating. “This (reaction) is thought to be a die-off effect of the pathogens.” For more information on probiotics, visit www.us probiotics.org, www.isapp.net, and www.dannon probioticscenter.com. http://www.drugtopics.com http://www.usprobiotics.org http://www.usprobiotics.org http://www.isapp.net http://www.dannonprobioticscenter.com http://www.dannonprobioticscenter.com

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Drug Topics - May 12, 2008 Contents Latebreakers Letters R.Ph.s Say More Needs to be Done to Prevent Pediatric Drug Errors There's a New School of Thought on Use of Beta-Blockers for Hypertension Cover Story Guest Spot Letters Clinical Practice Special Report Professional Practice Broad Label for New Leukemia Therapy Looks Promising Treating Asthma During Pregnancy Safer than Not, Says New Guide In the Pipeline Clinical Q&A APhA Leader's Plan to Leave Office Takes Center Stage at its Conference Policies Passed at a Glance Giving a Talk to the Community? Check Out These Materials This Foundation has Funds to Spare JP at Large Cover Story: Employers and R.Ph.S: A Win-Win Combo FDA's Ilisa Bernstein Discusses Pharmacy Affairs Legal Q&A Manufacturers Unleash a Rash of Poison Ivy Treatments Are OTC Cold Remedies Safe for Kids? Probiotics are All the Rage: How You Can Capitalize on It CMS' Prices for Round One of DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Raising Concerns CVS Caremark's Mentoring Program Recruits and Retains R.Ph.s Antibiotic Resistance Among Community Pathogens Technology Update New Products Advertisers Index Classified Viewpoint

Drug Topics - May 12, 2008

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