Spotlight on Drugs & Breast Cancer; Health Screening & Benefits Fair

Prevention for the Month

When the air begins to cool, it is time again for what is becoming an ASU tradition. Our third annual Health Screening is this week and is being held in conjunction with a Benefits Fair sponsored by the hard working crew in Human Resources. The screening is open to spouses and dependents too. Read the details below. October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The 16 thousand plus participants in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race For The Cure© last month in Little Rock underscored the energy and emotion that pours into breast cancer prevention and treatment. A hats-off salute to the Jonesboro area Pink Warriors Team for their participation in this event and to Linda Farris (CNHP) for her 9^th place overall finish in the 5 K race. If you can walk, stroll, or run, plan to attend this impressive event next year. An often overlooked fact this time of year is that breast cancer is not the most serious disease facing women. Read on. Flu season is coming soon. Be on the lookout for flu vaccines that will be brought to you by the Nurse Practitioners in the Health Center. This is an important and inexpensive service. Do you have questions regarding the use of generic drugs? Read Pharmacist Tom Frank's article titled "Brand Name or Generic: Looking For Good Value." See you at the Annual Health Screening & Benefits Fair. Be Healthy, Happy and Active!
 

Brand Name or Generic: Looking For Good Value

Many of you have seen the advertisements that claim to save you 50% on prescription drugs if you use the generic version instead of the brand name. Is this a deal too good to be true? Not at all, in some cases. In fact, the savings can be even greater at times. But let's not lose sight of our primary focus: seeking the best value in prescription drugs.

Generic drugs have the same chemical ingredients as the "brand name" drug, which is sometimes referred to as the "trade name." When a new drug is approved for sale by the Food and Drug Administration, it is patent-protected for 17 years and can only be sold by the company that has the patent rights to the compound until the patent expires. This allows the company to recoup their research and marketing expenses and make a profit if the drug is successful. After the patent expires, other companies can market the compound. Unlike the original research that must prove safety and efficacy of the compound in clinical trials, the generic drug manufacturer must demonstrate that their drug is closely similar to the name brand. This requirement is much less expensive to meet and the marketing costs for generics are also less.

So, are trade name and generic drugs the same? Yes. You can have a high degree of confidence that the generic formulation will provide similar effects at less cost. There are a few exceptions and some distinctions to point out.

Some drugs have a very narrow therapeutic index (the range in which the medication provides health benefits). In this case, too much or too little could be harmful and a consistent dose is very important. Sometimes sophisticated drugs have sustained release delivery systems; to maintain a consistent response to medication, these products should not be substituted. However, there are many options in antibiotics, anti-inflammatory dugs, birth control pills and blood pressure drugs that will serve you well.

How can you make the right choice? Ask your doctor, "Is this medication available in a generic?" Ask the same question of your pharmacist. It is an extremely important safety concern to have your prescriptions filled only by your favorite pharmacist or only one pharmacy. This allows your pharmacist to evaluate your medications and identify any drug interactions or duplications that could lead to trouble.

At ASU, the current co-pay for brand name drugs is $15 and for generics the co-pay is $7. These co-pays are nominal compared to the price difference in brand names as compared to generic drugs. Because ASU is self-insured, increased costs must be covered by increased health benefit premiums paid by employees. By using the prescription drug benefit wisely, benefits and co-pays can be maintained.

Tom Frank, Pharm.D., BCPS is currently at AHEC-Northeast in Jonesboro.

(Editor's note: ASU's drug benefit costs have increased by $100,000 per year for the last three years. This is an important issue that we can work together on to reduce our costs and maintain quality.)
 

ASU Employee Health Screening and Benefits Fair.

On Thursday, October 8^th, St. Bernard's, ASU Human Resources, and your Wellness Program are teaming up to bring you the premier health & benefits extravaganza in NE Arkansas. Learn more about the benefits (health, financial, educational, etc...) offered through Human Resources and participate in the health screening. There are even some really neat door prizes that will be given away this year. Health screenings for blood pressure, height, weight, diabetes, cholesterol and glucose levels, anemia, colorectal cancer will be available as will health counseling. Just a reminder, if you would like the blood tests to more accurately reflect your status, you will need to consider a 10-12 hour fast (only water) before having it done. The Health & Benefits Fair will start at 10:00 am in the Reng Center Ballroom. The Human Resources staff will be available until 3:00 p.m. and the St. Bernards crew will continue until 5:00 p.m. Hope to see everyone there.
 

The Mammogram Debate

If you are in the 40-49 year-old controversy group and are unsure whether you need a mammogram or not, take heart. A reasonable flow chart to determine whether or not a woman should have a mammogram has recently been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and supported by the National Cancer Institute. If you are in your 40's here are the "strong" risk factors to consider: 1) previous breast cancer; 2) a positive test for BRCA1 Or BRCA2 genes; 3) a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer; 4) "atypical hyperplasia" found on biopsy; 5) two or more breast biopsies, even if results are benign; 6) 75 percent dense tissue on mammogram at age 45 to 49. You should be screened annually if you have any of these risks. Other "weaker" risk factors are zero or one breast biopsy; having first baby at age 30 or older, those who have had one biopsy AND started menses before age 12 or gave birth after age 20 should also be screened. African-American women have slightly higher rates of breast cancer in their 40's and should be more attentive to regular screenings. Now, if you are 45-49 and all of the following statements apply to you, you may delay your first screening: 1) none of the strong risk factors are present; 2) first live birth was before age 20; 3) you've never had a breast biopsy; and 4) first period was at age 12 or older. If even just one of these statements is not true for you, you should be screened. It is important to note that the authors state that using these guidelines, 10% of white and 16% of black women age 40 would be advised to be screened while 95% of both races at age 49 would be advised to be screened. While breast cancer receives a lot of attention in the media, lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the US for women. And with the spotlight on breast cancer, the number one killer of women is quietly taking its toll - cardiovascular disease.
 

Fun and Fit

Join your colleagues during the noon hour for fun and body toning and strengthening exercises in the HPER Fitness Room on M,W,F. Top Guns for September were Larry Olson, Sherry Eskridge, and Rich Carvell with 100% attendance!
 

The Arkansas State University Employee Wellness Newsletter is published monthly during the academic year by the College of Nursing and Health Professions and edited by the Wellness Coordinator. Health and wellness questions can be addressed to Jim Farris, Ph.D., ext. 3591 or jfarris@crow.astate.edu.