Tag Archives: medicine

GRAPEFRUIT – The Killer Fruit!

Posted on January 15, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Occasionally, I hear news reports regarding the dangers of eating grapefruit while on certain medications. This is not new information and I have to remind myself that many are still unaware of this very serious drug-food interaction. The medical community … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Blog Writers, Deadly Food-Drug Interactions, Deadly Grapefruit, Food-Drug Interactions, Furanocoumarin, Furanocoumarin and Grapefruit, Grapefruit and Drugs, Grapefruit as a Public Health Issue, Grapefruit-Drug Interactions, How Grapefruit Kills, Medication Safety Issues, New Drug Research, Pharmacist Errors, Prescription Trends, The Practice of Pharmacy, Using Grapefruit to Kill | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Medication Errors – A Killer

Posted on November 27, 2013 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

As a follow-up to its landmark report, To Err Is Human, the Institute of Medicine (of the National Academies) has determined that medication errors are a serious public health risk and that the risk remains a widespread and growing threat. … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Blogging, Drug Error Prevention, Drug Errors in The Elderly, Drug Misadventures, Medication Safety Issues, Pharmacist Errors, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, The Pharmacy Profession, The Practice of Pharmacy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Flesh-Eating Horror

Posted on October 30, 2013 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Since tomorrow is All Hallows’ Eve, commonly called Halloween, I thought some extra horror was in order.  I won’t bore you with what you already know about Halloween: that it’s the eve of All Saints’ Day in many Christian religions … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, CRE, Drug Resistant Bacteria, Flesh Eating Bacteria, Halloween Blog, MRSA, Necrotizing Fasciitis, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Zombie Wannabe | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Radioactive Bacteria On The Attack!

Posted on June 5, 2013 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In previous blogs (here, here and here), I’ve written about the horrors of bacterial attacks. I’ve discussed the concept of drug resistant bacteria up to and including bacteria used in biological warfare. Today, however, I’d like to highlight an organism … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Attack of Bacteria, Bacteria and Radiation, Bacteria Attacks Cancer, Curing Pancreatic Cancer, Friendly Bacteria, Killing Cancer With Bacteria, Listeria Attacks Cancer, Listeria Bacteria, Pancreatic Tumors, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Radioactive Bacteria, Radioactive Bacteria Attacks Cancer, Radioactive Listeria | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Generic Drugs – All Smoke and Mirrors?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

When people discover that I’m a pharmacist and that I practiced for over 40 years before becoming a full-time writer, some of the inevitable questions I get asked are, “What about generics?” “Are they really the same as brand name … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Are Generic Drugs Safe, Cheap Generic Drugs, Differences in Generic Drugs, Generic Drug Manufacturing, Generic Drug Safety, Generic Drug Use, Generic Drugs, Generic Drugs in the US, Generic vs Brand Name Drugs, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Prescription Drug Safety, Prescription Trends, The Pharmacy Profession | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Red Wine and Dark Chocolate are the Best Drugs!

Posted on April 17, 2013 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Two of my favorite food groups: red wine and dark chocolate – and now I discover that both are among the healthiest foods one can eat. But hold on a minute. There’s a catch. Scientists have found that it’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Dark Chocolate for Health, Drugs That Prevent Aging, Foods For Health, Foods to Prevent Aging, Pharmaceutical Fountain of Youth, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Red Wine for Health, Resveratrol for Health, Resveratrol Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Super Bugs = Super Killers

Posted on March 13, 2013 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

We perceive bacterial infections to be little more than a nuisance—with a simple fix of taking an antibiotic for a few days and then we’re back to feeling one hundred percent. Fortunately, that’s usually the case. Certain bacteria, however, have become … Continue reading →

Posted in About Medications/Pharmacy, Antibiotic Overuse, Antibiotics in Agriculture, Drug Misadventures, Drug Resistant Bacteria, MRSA, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Superbugs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Medication Errors – A Killer

Posted on January 23, 2013 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

As a follow-up to its landmark report, To Err Is Human, the Institute of Medicine has determined that medication errors are a serious public health risk and that the risk remains a widespread and growing threat. Medication errors result in … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Drug Misadventures, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, The Pharmacy Profession, The Practice of Pharmacy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

THALLIUM – The Poisoner’s Poison!

Posted on August 29, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Thallium is a bluish-white metal that, in pure form, is odorless and tasteless.  When combined with other substances like chlorine or iodine, it turns colorless-to-white with maybe a slight yellow tinge.  It dissolves easily in water.  In other words, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioterrorism, Drug Poisoning, Drugs and Bioterrorism, Drugs Used For Murder, Thallium Poisoning, The Poisoner's Poison | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

MADE IN AMERICA: Does that include your prescription drugs?

Posted on June 6, 2012 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Recently I saw an entertaining news feature about a family who was determined to fill their home with furniture and appliances made only in America.  Once they had removed everything that WASN’T made in the United States, all that was left … Continue reading →

Posted in Our nation's drug supply | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments