musings on medicines from the Earth
Abel Pharmboy is the nom de plume of an academic researcher and educator who holds a PhD in Pharmacology. He writes on natural product drugs and dietary supplements, academic career development, medical journalism and, occasionally, making and listening to music and wine appreciation for the monetarily-challenged.
You can learn quickly the distinction between the fields of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacy, the Pharmaceutical Sciences by clicking on the hyperlinks. You can learn more about the author here.
"Why Terra Sigillata?" will tell you about the origin of the blog name.
Please feel free to contact me off-blog by e-mail to abelpharmboy (at) gmail (dot) com.
Please read the DISCLAIMER for details on the blog's intended audience, advertising and comment policy, and how not to use the information presented herein.
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November 30, 2007
Category: Science/medical journalism
The need for academia to place more value on public science education by rewarding those faculty who perform public outreach and even, gulp, write science blogs.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 12:02 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Erleichda
Our intrepid guest blogger, Erleichda, dispatches one of two missives on a trip to New Zealand wine country.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:19 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 28, 2007
Category: Blogging community
Many thanks to Terra Sig readers around our Terra.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:02 PM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Florida
This question, posed in 1965 by a Gator football coach to University of Florida renal physiologist J. Robert Cade, MD, PhD, led to the development of Gatorade and the tremendously successful sports drink industry.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 2:02 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 27, 2007
Category: Drug safety
Taking advantage of a drug-food interaction to reduce costs of expensive drugs. Take it with a grain of salt.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 4:02 PM • 21 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 26, 2007
Category: Humor
We discussed in a post the other day about the use of a class of anti-glaucoma drugs for cosmetic purposes to increase the number and thickness of eyelashes. Well, we can always count on The Onion to provide us with...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 3:02 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 25, 2007
Category: Pharmacoeconomics
As I sat to write a post this morning, I became more engaged in a story in the New York Times magazine by Dr Daniel Carlat entitled, "Dr. Drug Rep." Joseph of Corpus Callosum recently commented here about being solicited...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:02 AM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 23, 2007
Category: The Friday Fermentable
Toys for Tots and dark beers for the big kids.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:52 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 22, 2007
Category: Love for Terra Sig readers
For readers not in the US, today is Thanksgiving Day. Our friends to the north celebrated their harvest festival last month. I'll be giving thanks today to my local Honeybaked Ham® franchise for making our little stay-at-home celebration that much...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 11:02 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 21, 2007
Category: Blogging community
Everybody is from somewhere. You just never know when one of your local heroes will be willing to come back and get involved in local issues again. Dr Wesley R. Elsberry states in his open letter to the Polk County school board, "I was born in Lakeland, Florida, and lived for eighteen years there. My parents still live there. I still care about what happens in my home town."
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:02 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Evolution
The blog at Florida Citizens for Science is providing firsthand updates.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:02 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 20, 2007
Category: Drug safety
Is it a cosmetic? Is it a drug? No, it's a cosmeceutical. And according to the US FDA it's an unapproved and misbranded drug. An unusual side effect of prescription-only anti-glaucoma drugs has been harnessed by cosmetics companies, but the manufacturer of one of the prescription drugs may be moving to protect its turf...and a future indication for their drug, a la Rogaine.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:02 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 19, 2007
Category: REPOST (Classic Terra Sig)
A repost on a hallucinogenic herb combination and the protection of religious freedom, plus an interesting twist on the well-worn MAO inhibition story.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:02 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 17, 2007
Category: Pharmaceuticals
Readers who are busting their butts doing basic and drug development research in pharmaceutical companies don't need this kind of alleged behavior from upper management - from Jeanne Whalen at the Wall Street Journal (online yesterday and in today's print...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 11:02 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 16, 2007
Category: Botanical/Herbal Medicines
The red wine pill a) hoax, b) debacle, c) scam, or d) all of the above.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:21 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: The Friday Fermentable
Fun, Fall tradition or clever marketing strategy to unload tons of substandard grapes?
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:18 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 15, 2007
Category: Advertising
No..it's a false alarm. [***or not - see note added at end of post] But I had to do a double-take last night when reading my e-mail notification of the new HealthCentral newsletter with the subject line: Celebrate Alzheimer's Awareness...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:30 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 14, 2007
Category: Cancer
Newsweek's Jonathan Alter details the absurdity of Medicare's ruling to restrict coverage on cancer radioimmunotherapy (RIT).
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:45 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 13, 2007
Category: Blogging community
I got sidetracked today with activities in that thing called the meat world. So, I can only refer you to a very nice roundup of expert medical blogging over at RevolutionHealth and Dr Val and The Voice of Reason blog....
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:05 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 12, 2007
Category: Cancer
Radioimmunotherapy reimbursements cut to less than hospital cost.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 3:02 AM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 11, 2007
Category: Computing
Two examples of musicians making creative use of their Macs.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 11:35 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 10, 2007
Category: Pharmacy
A new blog gives some critical insight to the drug biz from a student's perspective.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 2:15 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 9, 2007
Category: Love for Terra Sig readers
A little Friday happy hour discussion.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 3:26 PM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 8, 2007
Category: Kids' stuff
Molecule of the Day smokes the competition on GHB in Aqua Dots.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:41 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Women in science and medicine
The first female dean of a top 10 US medical school echoes the sentiments of your humble blog proprietor regarding news of her appointment.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 1:45 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 7, 2007
Category: DonorsChoose.org
A surprise prize comes to the readers of Terra Sig for their support of K-12 science education. Thanks!!!
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:21 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: REPOST (Classic Terra Sig)
Orac's recent post, A Real Death By Homeopathy, led me to dig through the archives at my old blog and reprint one of my first posts, this one from 6 January 2006. As a natural products researcher, I often see...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:15 AM • 19 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 5, 2007
Category: Women in science and medicine
Just a quick post today following from an interesting comment by lindata on my post about gender in science and the Scientiae blog carnival. lindata points out that blinding evaluators from the identity of musicians during auditions has resulted in...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:02 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 3, 2007
Category: Women in science and medicine
During the week, I got too tied up to mention that one of our posts on thinking about gender in science and medicine got picked up by Yami McMoots at Green Gabbro for the 13th edition of the Scientiae blog...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 1:54 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 2, 2007
Category: The Friday Fermentable
Guest wine-blogger, Erleichda, tempts us with the fruits of his visit to New Zealand's legendary wine country.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:02 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
