Cultural Competence

LAKE FOREST, Calif. — Innovative BioDefense, manufacturer of the Zylast line of broad-spectrum, persistent antimicrobial products, on Tuesday announced an exclusive relationship with Australian-based Picketts Health to provide a modification of their proprietary lotion and antiseptic sanitizer for use in Picketts Health’s patented Orbel hand sanitizer applicator.  

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. – Drug maker AbbVie is launching an international awareness campaign focused on women living with HIV, the drug maker said Tuesday.

It has been called “the blockbuster drug of the century,” the holy grail of health care and the next great frontier in the search for a more responsive and cost-effective healthcare system. But is it a truly achievable goal, and will it really transform the way health care is delivered in the United States?

Elevated body mass index, or BMI, has been called the “elephant in the exam room” because often it is overlooked by clinicians, despite overwhelming evidence suggesting that weight loss reduces risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is a complex chronic disease, and BMI is a useful, objective measure to identify patients whose weight puts them at risk for such health problems as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

LOS ANGELES — Trigg Laboratories, makers of Wet personal lubricants, will be supporting World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 through the donation of more than 5,000 safe-sex kits and samples to local clinics across nine cities to help raise awareness around HIV/AIDS, the company announced Tuesday.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross in response to the devastating Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Typhoon Yolanda, that swept through the Philippines last week. These funds will be used to distribute relief items, repair and rebuild shelters, provide health care and give access to clean water and sanitation systems for those impacted by the storm.

Supermarket pharmacy operators last month received validation for the growing number of diabetes educators and dietary nutritionists walking their aisles. In the Oct. 9 issue of Diabetes Care, the American Diabetes Association recommended all people with diabetes make nutrition therapy a part of their treatment plan.

FAIRFAX, Va. — Cockroaches and rodents are common allergy and asthma triggers in the wintertime, according to a statement released Tuesday by the National Pest Management Association. 

Citing the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, NPMA reported that cockroach allergens are present in 63% of American homes and mouse allergens in 82%. The number of homes containing cockroach allergens increases to as many as 78% to 98%, respectively, in urban areas.