…there is a listed allergy to phenobarbital.
Truvada, a brand name for the generic combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate has now been given the green light as the first pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. The generic ingredients are themselves already used in HIV treatment in drugs such as Emtriva (emtricitabine), Viread (tenofovir) and Atripla (emtricitabine/ tenofovir/ efavirenz).
Truvada itself was previously approved to be used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-infected adults and children 12 years or older.
For prevention purposes, the drug should be used along with other prevention methods, the FDA said in a press statement, such as safe sex practices, risk reduction counseling, and regular HIV testing.
With the results from the two double-blind randomized controlled trials showing good evidence for prophylaxis, this is another step in the right direction towards HIV infection control.
When I was in pharmaceutical sciences, I used to learn drugs by writing them out on flash cards. I would write the generic name, the brand name, the drug class, and the available formulations. This was how I studied drugs.
Of course, the easiest way to sort them is by class. Some drug classes have suffixes that make it easier to categorize them and understand what they do. Take for example the proton pump inhibitors; they all end in -prazole. So the drug list would contain omeprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole etc.
Some drugs might come out without such a fixed naming structure and then it becomes a case of just memorizing. However, I would probably suggest starting with the generic name first, as this is easier and better practice. From a pharmaceutical stand point, a brand name is less useful in terms of consistency for both patients and for health care providers; the generic name is the same everywhere.
Have you ever seen those television commercials for medications? Have you ever paid attention to the side effects disclaimer near the end? My goodness! I don’t know about you but they just scare me! And I don’t know what’s scarier, when they say the list of side effects or when they add that “the results presented are an exceptional case, your results may vary.” Could you imagine if other advertisements took the same route?
“Drive this car. It’s got 6 cup holders, satellite radio, great gas mileage and a great track record in collision tests…warning this is an exceptional case, your results my vary.”
Covering your butt is one thing but those commercials just take it to a whole other level.
I often hear police officers saying they confiscated narcotics from suspects. It is used synonymously with the illicit substances of today, the ones that make you high and go wild. The truth is that it is probably the wrong term to use.
Narcotic, from the Greek word “narkotikos,” meaning benumbing, deadening is really more properly defining a drug that produces sleep.
If you have ever seen some of the drug users, they are far from asleep. The family of drugs law enforcement is more commonly dealing with are the “opioids,” drugs that bind to the opioid receptor.
Thanks for that anecdote! A first hand account always helps put things into perspective. While it did what it advertised, it sounds like it was a very unpleasant experience and may not have been worth the troubles. Glad to hear there is no more soiling. Take care!