Flu season is  quickly approaching its peak season which is December  through  March and there is still time to get vaccinated.

 The virus is spread by coughing or sneezing producing droplets. Healthy people come in contact with these droplets causing the spread of the virus. After you  have the virus you are contagious from the day before you have symptoms until one week later. Be sure to practice good hygiene by covering you coughs and sneezes with you sleeve and wash your hands.

We are giving flu shots daily. School is in and it was’nt  too long ago we were all concerned about  the swine flu outbreak. No appointment is needed so come in and get vaccinated today. Flu and pneumonia are covered under medicare Part B and there is no copayment required.

Just remember these three words,Slip,Slap,Slather. Slip on a hat,Slap on a shirt, and Slather on the sunscreen.

The majority of skin melanomas are caused by exposure to the sun. The areas affected most are the face,neck ,arms,  upper back,and legs. Be sure to use a sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15 and reapply every 2 hours expecially if perspiring , or swiming. Wear sunglasses to protect pigmented areas of your eyes. Routinely exam you skin for possible  skin cancers and remember ABCDE. Is the melanoma ASYMMETRIC,does it have BORDERS that are irregular,is the COLOR different,is the DIAMETER large in size(1/4 inch or greater), is it EVOLVING changing color,shape,or size. If any of these things occur don’t hessitate to see your doctor.

According to statistics twenty percent of   teens  visit social media sites more than 10 times a  day. This  should be a call for parents to get involved. 

The American acadamy of pediatricians  strongly urges for parents to monitor their childrens online activities. They should supervise their online activity to check for potential problems. This could include issues with depression,cyberbullying, safety,and security.

For free tips on internet safety and social media go to A merican acamay of pediatricians website.

David Mattingly R.Ph.

Photos from Scout Sunday 2/13/2011 available for viewing and printing on our Facebook page.  Open photo, right click, save image as, save and print.

The new year is well under way and hopefully everyone has stayed true to their new years resolutions, if not a friend once told me the difference between success and failure is only one more attempt away. In honor of Valentines day for the month of Feburary we will be doing cholesterol test for only $10 for anyone that mentions they read it on our webb site. This test should be fasting and checks for HDL,LDL,TC/HDL Ratio,and Total Cholesterol. Cholesterol test are very useful in accessing ones risk of heart disease. Values will be available in 10 minutess and can be faxed to your doctor.

Good luck and good health

I’m sure everyone has heard of or even possibly benefited from the Obama stimulas plan. Here is a stimulas plan that won’ t cost the taxpayers a dime, it’s the shop local stimulas plan. Every One hundred dollars spent at a locally owned drug store $72 stays in our community compared with  $43 at a chain store and zero dollars from a mail order pharmacy.

Your prescriptons are delivered to you from a pharmacist at a local drugstore and by a mailman thru mail order. When all of your current medications are purchased at the same location, over the counter purchases can be evaluated  for possible interactions or duplications that could cause a serious complication.

Of course there is the obvious that you receive personal service with a local pharmacist that has developed a relationship not only with the customer but also the with the local doctor. As a sports person I’ve always heard that experience within a team is a valuable asset.

I know that mail order service is rarely the choice of our customers, be sure the plan you or your healthcare benefits manager chooses has local pharmacy options.

David Mattingly R.Ph.

Do we really know what we are consuming? Oranges are good for us,right. They are a good source of vitamin C,potassium, and fiber. Orange juice has very little fiber and is high in calories. Fiber is very important to maintain  health.  It makes us feel full when we eat,it helps with digestion and blunts the peak of a high glucose foods to help maintain a lower blood sugar. Vitamin C helps keep our bones and muscles strong and helps the body absorb Iron. Potassium is needed to regulate blood pressure,in nerve transmission,to build muscle and for a proper heart rhythm.

Look for items that contain monosturated fats vs. saturated and hydrogentated oils. Monosaturated fats  tend  to help raise HDL (good cholesterol) and saturated fats raise LDL (bad cholesterol)

Read your labels and become a savy consumer. Bring a copy of this blog or mention you saw it  and receive a free blood glucose meter.(offer expires 1/1/2011)

It seems like todays aging baby boomer everyone is looking for the fountain of youth. Cosmetically it’s facials Botox,Juvaderm or a host of other products but for health and fittness it truly is excercise and healthy eating. A process called sarcopenia takes place as we age that gradually diminishes the muscle mass on our bodies. When this takes place our metabolism starts to slow down making maintaining a healthy weight more difficult. A regular program of endurance and resistance training not only helps by burning calories it also helps retain and build muscle mass, in turn keeping our metabolism active. A person with more muscle mass has a greater basal metabolic rate.(the rate of metabolism when we are at rest) Look for ways to incorperate regular exercise in your lifestyle, you will be glad you did.

Medications for children are often ambiguous or hard to understand. The doses are often small and the dosing devices ,ie  your flatware can vary greatly. Be sure to use a standardized measuring device like a callibrate syringe or dosing cup.  When you check the directions be sure you understand any abbreviation that may be used.(Eg TBSP =tablespoonful ,tp teaspoonful) Its best not to abbreviate.  By all means if you don’t understand,ASK.

Be very cautious if you use a measuring device designed for a specific product to measure the dose for another drug. Eg. some vitamins and otc pain relievers have a dose of  0.6ml  that will be marked on the syringe. This can be confused for 6ml leading to an inaccurate dose. My first opinion is to never use for any other product.

You can’t be too careful

David Mattingly R.ph.