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what’s the advantage of aerosol medicines?Many drugs that used to be administered as a high dose pill, or by IV injection, are now available as aerosols.  Inhaled medications include corticosteroids to treat patients with asthma and antibiotics to treat patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). By delivering these drugs directly to the lungs as an aerosol, we are able to bypass delivery into the systemic circulation, which allows us to give lower doses and reduce unwanted side-effects. Other drugs, such as bronchodilators and hypertonic saline, also benefit from this route of administration.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need through the program that is right for them. Many will get their medications free or nearly free. The Partnership for Prescription Assistance will help you find the program that’s right for you, free of charge. Remember, you will never be asked for money by a PPA Call Center representative, or on this Web site.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need through the program that is right for them. Many will get their medications free or nearly free. The Partnership for Prescription Assistance will help you find the program that’s right for you, free of charge. Remember, you will never be asked for money by a PPA Call Center representative, or on this Web site.

It has been six years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug to treat patients with multiple sclerosis, but 2010 has been a drug bonanza for MS patients. In just 10 months, the FDA has approved a trifecta of drugs, giving many MS patients new hope and opportunities. Here's a snapshot of the FDA's actions:

When: February 8, 2011 12:00 - 1:00pm Where: Mansfield Health Education Center Room 7 Billings, MT Target Audience: Primary Care Providers to include but not limited to Family Practice, Pediatrics, Emergency Department physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, and all other healthcare providers of pediatric/adolescent patients Lecture Specific Objectives: At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to: Discuss the pathophysiologic changes associated with brain trauma in children. Identify emotional and cognitive short and long term sequelae of brain trauma in children. List effective therapies for emotional and cognitive sequelae of mild brain injury in children. Series Objectives: At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to: Apply current medical guidelines in the treatment of pediatric/adolescent patients.  Utilize multidisciplinary approach to the management of complex pediatric patients. Recognize the need for consultation and/or referral to pediatric specialists/subspecialists in a timely manner. Discuss the diagnostic approach and treatment of variety of pediatric diseases. If you would like to attend via videoconference contact: St. Vincent Healthcare University at 406.237.3348 or email svhu@svh-mt.org.  Reservations for videoconferencing must be made at least 24 hours prior to live activity.

Click here to register What: The webinar will feature discussions on streamlining the screening process, communicating the value of screening with patients and parents, delivering screening results, and managing referrals from two distinctly different perspectives. Christina Carro Newport, Program Coordinator, TeenScreen Primary Care, will discuss how best to use the resources and support available through the TeenScreen National Center. When: June 30, 2011 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Mountain

People with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression can lose weight and keep it off through a modified lifestyle intervention program, a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded study reported online today in The New England Journal of Medicine. Over 80 percent of people with serious mental illnesses are overweight or obese, which contributes to them dying at three times the rate of the overall population. They succumb mostly to the same things the rest of the population experiences — cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Although antipsychotic medications increase appetite and cause weight gain in these patients, it is not the only culprit. Like the general population, sedentary lifestyle and poor diet also play a part. Lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise should work for these patients, yet they are often left out of weight loss studies.

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Autism spectrum disorders are surrounded by a haze of misconceptions, many of which are harmful for autistic children and adults. It’s time to straighten a few things out, and to spread the word on this complex series of cognitive and intellectual disabilities with a little good old-fashioned debunking. 1. Autistic people have no empathy. This is a common belief about autism; people think that because autistics are sometimes blunt or have difficulty navigating social norms, they aren’t empathetic. In fact, just the opposite seems to be true. Rather than not feeling enough, many autistics feel very intensely, and are easily overwhelmed by the emotions of those around them. 2. Autistic people can’t communicate. Autism spectrum disorders take a variety of forms, and some people with autism are nonverbal, but that doesn’t mean they can’t communicate. Some use communication boards and other methods to communicate with the people around them, but it requires patience to establish and maintain communication with them. Historically, people with more severe forms of autism were often isolated in institutions, but more modern treatment of autism encourages the use of therapy and other techniques to interact with patients and find a communication mode they feel comfortable with. 3. Autistic people are violent. This particularly damaging assumption about autism was widely bandied around in the aftermath of the horrific Sandy Hook shooting. In fact, autistic people are no more likely to commit acts of violence than anyone else, and when they are violent, self-harm is a much more significant concern. Autism and other disabilities also put people at an increased risk of violence, which means autistics have far more to fear about the world around them. Some autistic people do act out or have what are known as “meltdowns,” usually as expressions of frustration with themselves or situations, but this doesn’t equate to violence against other people; an autistic might throw objects in frustration, for example, without any desire or intent to hit people with them. 4. Autistic people are savants. Everyone who’s seen Rainman thinks autistic people are savants, capable of extreme feats of memorization and other amazing skills. While it’s true that some savants are autistic, not everyone with an autism spectrum disorder has these capabilities; some in fact have significant learning disabilities that require accommodations in the classroom. 5. Autism is the result of “refrigerator mothers.” This awful myth about autism has been largely debunked, but it’s still worth a mention. Some people used to believe that autism was caused by bad parenting, with a specific focus on cold or isolated mothers. The result was a lot of misinformation about autism, and terrible pressure on mothers who were already learning about how to navigate the world with autistic children. In fact, autism has no clear cause. 6. Autistics can’t make friends. Along with the belief that autistic people lack empathy comes the assumption that they live isolated lives and have difficulty making friends. Just like everyone else, though, autistics are perfectly capable of establishing and maintaining not just friendships but other kinds of relationships with the people around them. Isolating autistic people in a misguided attempt to protect them can be very harmful, just as it would be for anyone else. 7. Stimming (repetitive behavior like flapping or rocking), is undesirable and should be stopped. Stimming is familiar to many people who are at least vaguely familiar with autism — sadly, it’s often used in mockeries of autistic people, by individuals who think that making flapping gestures or imitative noises is funny. For autistic people, stimming is one way to deal with chaotic environments or stress, and rather than being something that should be suppressed, it can actually be a healthy method of personal expression and sometimes communication as well. Autistics who are forced to modify or hide their stimming behaviors can develop even more stress, which can interfere with focus, completing tasks of daily living, and other activities. It’s important to be aware that the autism spectrum is vast, and that autism spectrum disorders can manifest in a huge variety of ways. Every autistic is different, and every one deserves respect and dignity. That includes not perpetuating harmful stereotypes, and correcting people who falsely repeat them.

Download the the link for full information right here! (PDF)What:By the end of this continuing education, participants should be able to: Use new techniques to assess and assist patients with psychiatric disorders with suicide prevention, medication adherence, and medication management. Develop a process to evaluate patients with psychiatric disorders and/or chronic pain to ensure the effective and safe use of medications. The registration fees are as follows:$150.00 - All Healthcare Providers $50.00 - StudentsThe deadline for registration is April 6, 2012. There is a $25 processing fee applied to all late registrations and cancellations. No refunds will be granted for cancellations after April 6, 2012.When:Friday, April 13, 20128:00 am - 4:45 pmWhere:Mansfield Health Education Center2900 12th Ave. N.Suite 30WBillings, MTContact:Robert Parker Phone: (406) 237-4537Email: robert.parker@svh-mt.org

PHILADELPHIA –Results were released yesterday from the Pennsylvania Autism Needs Assessment, which includes feedback from 3,500 Pennsylvania caregivers and adults with autism, making it the largest study of its kind in the nation.  Among the findings, the study shows that training in social skills has been identified as the most common unmet need for both children and adults with autism.  The study also found that more than two-thirds of adults with autism are unemployed or underemployed. The survey was led by the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “The results of the needs assessment provide the most comprehensive and specific information to date about where Pennsylvania has been successful and where we still need work in helping people with autism and their families,” said David Mandell, ScD, associate director, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research. “My hope is that these results will be an important driver of new policy and innovative practices for years to come.”

Last week, 35 law enforcement officials from around the Gallatin County took a day to talk to patients with schizophrenia, manic-depressive disorder, personality disorders, bipolar disorder and more at the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. Patients told officers about hearing voices, not being able to discern between mortals and immortals and other terrifying realities they face on a daily basis.