Alleviating Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

							page 0 | medical chronicle | march 2010



   PEriscOPE
Alleviating Seasonal CPD for Pharmacists Antihistamine Provides
Allergic Rhinitis    Made Easy           Fast Relief of Allergies
                                                                    Over the last few years there has been a growing aware-               Fenofex is a welcome addition to the SA market. The active
A new medication, Desodene (desloratadine 5mg), has been            ness among legislators and professionals locally and inter-           ingredient, fexofenadine hydrochloride, is a well known
launched for the relief of symptoms associated with seasonal        nationally that continued training and development of all
                                                                                                                                          non-sedating, selective histamine H1-receptor antagonist,
allergic rhinitis. It has antihistaminic, anti-allergic and         healthcare professionals is essential.
                                                                                                                                          which exhibits an antihistaminic effect within one hour. It
anti-inflammatory activity; however, it has the advantage              Recording Continued Professional Development (CPD) activities
                                                                    and learning results will soon be mandatory for the pharmacy pro-     provides relief for 24 hours.
of being non-sedating. It is suitable for patients over the
                                                                    fession. The good news is that the South African Pharmacy Council        The antihistamine is available in 120mg and 180mg strengths.
age of 12 years.
                                                                    (SAPC) has made great progress towards introducing an online CPD      The 120mg version is indicated for the relief of symptoms as-
   Its pharmacokinetic profile ensures rapid, all-day relief of     recording system to the pharmacy profession.                          sociated with seasonal allergic rhinitis, more commonly known
symptoms and it is effective within one or two hours of admin-         The SAPC CPD pilot project was launched in November 2009 and       as hayfever. The 180mg version is indicated for the relief of
istration.                                                          involves a limited number of stakeholders complying with certain
                                                                                                                                          symptoms associated with chronic idiopathic urticaria, also
   Desloratadine 5mg is                                             key requirements. As one of the pilot participants, Clicks Pharmacy
                                                                                                                                          known as chronic skin rashes.
available in packs of 10                                            welcomes this step. “Anticipating the mandatory CPD for pharma-
                                                                    cists, we at Clicks Pharmacy have put emphasis on the training and
                                                                                                                                             The 120mg
and 30 tablets.
                                                                    development of our professional staff over the past three years,”     is packaged in
   For more information,
                                                                    said Willie Jordaan, head of professional services at Clicks.         blister strips,
email David Tucker, na-
                                                                        “Through the Pharmacy Healthcare Academy CPD Programme,           contain-
tional marketing manager,                                           our customers become the ultimate beneficiaries of the pharma-        ing 10 or 30
on david@drreddys.co.za                                             cists’ ongoing knowledge and skills, as they learn to manage their    tablets. The
                                                                    health more effectively,” Jordaan explained.
                                                                                                                                          180mg tablets
                                                                       “For the pharmacist, the trade-off comes in the form of profes-
                                                                    sional and personal development. Aiming to be at the forefront
                                                                                                                                          are packed
                                                                    of developments in the pharmaceutical industry - whether new          in cartons
                                                                    products, treatment protocols, operational excellence or lifestyle    containing 10
                                                                    management and patient counselling - should excite any pharma-        tablets, offer-
                                                                    cist. The SAPC online CPD programme is a useful management            i ng pat ient s a n affordable starter pack for skin rash.
                                                                    tool for this process.”                                                  For further information, read the package insert or call a
                                                                       The SAPC website provides detailed information on the imple-
                                                                                                                                          Ranbaxy representative on 012-643-2000.
                                                                    mentation of the proposed CPD system.



Minimally Invasive Ultrasound Technology Safely Removes Body Fat
VASER LIPO, also known as LipoSelection, performs ad-              the fat cells to break apart and emulsify into the infusion fluid.     al of small volumes of fat for
vanced body contouring procedures that selectively remove          Emulsified fat is easily removed via specially designed cannulae       precision contouring, or larger
unwanted body fat in both men and women. This procedure            or massage. Finally, remodelling and revascularisation of the          volumes for rapid debulking. It
is fast gaining recognition worldwide as an alternative to         preserved tissue promotes skin retraction.                             also makes delicate and fibrous
the harsh techniques of traditional liposuction, as it uses          “We at Sound Aesthetics are extremely excited to be in               areas easier to sculpt, is suitable
state-of-the-art ultrasound technology designed to gently          partnership with Sound Surgical (makers of VASER LIPO),                for fat transfer and will easily
reshape the body.                                                  and feel that the relationship will benefit our drive to make          enhance doctors’ current prac-
   At the 2009 78th annual American Society of Plastic Surgeons    VASER LIPO the tool of choice for aesthetic physicians on the          tice offerings. This technology
(ASPS) meeting, Dr Paul Vanek presented a study confirming         African continent.                                                     will assist doctors in perform-
that VASER-assisted lipoplasty (VAL) delivers superior results       “Since taking VASER technology on board, we have had                 ing superior quality work.
over traditional suction-assisted lipoplasty (SAL) in respect of   continual enquiries regarding this procedure and the doctors              For more information, con-
skin retraction and blood loss.                                    who adopted the technology are extremely happy,” said Jacques          tact Kyla Annear, Sound Aes-
How does it work?                                                  Pieters, director of Sound Aesthetics.                                 thetics, on 011-513-3538, or
   First, the fatty layer is infused with tumescent fluid. Then,     This third-generation ultrasound lipoplasty technology will          email kyla@soundaesthetics.
the high-frequency vibration of the ultrasonic probes causes       create new opportunities for aesthetic doctors as it enables remov-    co.za