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Upcoming Conference!
HFM National Training Conference
August 21-23, 2006- Tampa, Florida
Heath Care Food Management 2006 National Training Conference: Plans are underway to bring you another fantastic conference filled with powerful speakers, cutting-edge educational seminars, valuable networking sessions, and a week of fun in the sun with colleagues and friends!
One of the many expert speakers at the conference will be Cheryl Whitman, CEO of beautiful forever Medical Spa Business Consulting. The topic of her discussion will be Healthcare Retail held on Wednesday, August 23 at 2:15 to 3:15pm and again at 4-5pm.
So mark your calendars for the 2006 HFM National Training Conference, at the Saddlebrook Resort, August 21 - 25 in Tampa, Florida.
Secluded on 480 pristine acres, Saddlebrook Resort Tampa, features deluxe guest rooms, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites, four restaurants, three swimming pools, the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, two championship golf courses, Hopman Tennis Program, 45 tennis courts in all Grand Slam surfaces, Sports Village with a Fitness Center, Wellness Center and the European style spa. For more information, visit the Saddlebrook Web site at www.saddlebrookresort.com.
 First Of Its Kind Study Finds Patients Report Looking An Average Of Five To Six Years Younger Following BOTOX(R) Cosmetic Treatment Facials
Medical News Today
By Alastair Carruthers; Steven Fagien
29 Jul 2006
A first-of-its-kind analysis of data from multiple studies has found that a large proportion of patients report looking an average of five to six years younger than their current age after treatment for multiple upper facial lines with BOTOX(R) Cosmetic (Botulinum Toxin Type A, Allergan, Inc.).(i) As many as 63 percent of patients receiving BOTOX Cosmetic reported looking younger than their current age after treatment for upper facial lines -- i.e., moderate to severe glabellar lines (the vertical "frown" lines between the brows, often referred to as the "11s"), crow's feet, or multiple facial lines in the forehead area -- compared to just 23 percent of patients receiving placebo. The findings were presented today at the American Academy of Dermatology Academy '06 meeting in San Diego.
"Patient satisfaction is a key measure of success when using BOTOX Cosmetic to treat facial lines, but clinical trials usually rely on physician assessments to measure treatment results," said Steven Fagien, M.D., an aesthetic oculoplastic surgeon in Boca Raton, FL and one of the study investigators. "The studies included in our analysis are the first to accurately and reliably assess the patient's own self-perception of age following BOTOX Cosmetic treatment. Using this approach, we found a sizeable proportion of patients perceived they looked younger than their current age following treatment with BOTOX Cosmetic -- an outcome that is an important goal for many patients seeking medical aesthetic treatments."
For this analysis, data from 249 patients treated with BOTOX Cosmetic or placebo from five clinical studies were analyzed. Using the Self-Perception of Age (SPA) measure to directly assess each patient's perception of his or her own age-related appearance, patients in each of the clinical studies were asked to indicate whether they feel they look their current age, younger than their current age, or older than their current age. The SPA scale was administered both pre-treatment and at four weeks post-treatment.
At week four post-treatment with BOTOX Cosmetic, 39 percent of patients receiving 20 U for glabellar lines, 44.8 percent of patients receiving 12 U for bilateral treatment for crow's feet, and 62.5 percent of patients receiving 64 U for multiple upper facial lines reported looking an average of five to six years younger relative to their current age. In comparison, only 23 percent of patients receiving placebo reported they looked younger at week four post-treatment.
"Patients treated for multiple facial lines perceived that they looked younger than those who were treated with BOTOX Cosmetic for glabellar lines or crow's feet alone. This suggests that the overall, subtle smoothing in the appearance of facial lines achieved by treating multiple areas may be an important factor in a patient's perception of looking younger," said Alastair Carruthers, M.D., a cosmetic dermasurgeon in Vancouver, Canada and a co-investigator in the study. "In Canada, where BOTOX Cosmetic is approved for the treatment of multi-facial lines, I have found that by using the SPA questionnaire with my patients I can work with them to set appropriate expectations and goals for treatment to ensure optimal results."
This study was funded by an unrestricted grant from Allergan, Inc.
Carruthers A, Carruthers J, Cox SE, Fagien S, Finn JC, Kowalski JW, et al. Patients' self-perception of age after botulinum toxin type A treatment of upper facial rhytids: results across multiple studies. Presented at the American Academy of Dermatology '06 Meeting (July) in San Diego, CA. [Poster P2401]
 Ethnic patients fastest-growing segment of cosmetic patients
Jul 28, 2006 - Dermatology Times E-News
By: Cheryl Guttman
People of color are the fastest-growing segment of cosmetic patients, so learning to use lasers safely and correctly for ethnic skin will mean "your doors are open" to more patients, said Eliot F. Battle Jr., M.D., at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy '06.
"You will never be a laser expert until you can treat brown skin," says Dr. Battle, who is director of laser surgery at the Cultura Cosmetic Medical Spa in Washington, D.C., and assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Howard University Medical School.
Treating blacks is challenging, he says, because "We are a mixture of every race. ... Every time I treat an African-American, I'm treating someone different" from the last patient.
The four "crucial" laser parameters dermatologists must master to treat ethnic skin safely are wavelength, fluence, pulse duration and cooling, Dr. Battle says.
Longer wavelengths and longer pulse durations are safer, he says, and cooling is the most important factor in treating skin of color.
Side effects and blistering can occur when the skin is heated beyond 45 degrees Celsius. Side effects in black skin can occur up to 48 hours after a procedure such as laser hair removal, he says.
Dermatology antibiotic mainstays ineffective for community-acquired MRSA infections
Jul 28, 2006 - Dermatology Times E-News
By: Cheryl Guttman
Dermatologists in outpatient practices should maintain an index of suspicion for infections caused by community-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) and recognize the need to prescribe alternatives to the usual antibiotics that can be relied upon to effectively treat the majority of skin and skin structure infections they see, says Kenneth J. Tomecki, M.D., department of dermatology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
"Ninety percent of skin and skin structure infections encountered by dermatologists in their offices or in outpatient clinics are caused by methicillin-susceptible S. aureus and beta-hemolytic streptococci, and those infections can be eradicated by treating empirically with a first-generation cephalosporin or an anti-staphylococcal penicillin. Those drugs, however, are not effective against CA-MRSA," Dr. Tomecki says.
Seventy-five percent of CA-MRSA infections involve the skin, and they typically occur in younger persons, especially in athletes who play contact sports, individuals who have been recently released from prison or in individuals who are drug abusers. Any of those findings in a patient who presents with a furuncle or cellulitis suggests that a specimen be obtained for culture and sensitivity testing.
Incision and drainage is of paramount importance in treating any furuncle/abscess, and may be curative by itself in about 75 percent of CA-MRSA infections. When an antibiotic is needed, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) can be considered first-line except in geographic areas where resistance to TMP/SMX is high. Clindamycin and tetracycline represent good second-line choices in the latter situation. Other alternatives include the newer antibiotic linezolid (Zyvox), or vancomycin or daptomycin (Cubicin) if the infection is severe.
"Patients should also be advised about using antibacterial soaps or washes and other good hygiene measures, and dermatologists should also not forget about hygiene practices, including the frequent use of alcohol-based hand rubs," Dr. Tomecki says.
 Allergan Says '06 Sales May Exceed $2.81B
By MSP Staff
07/14/06 Business Trends
Botox-maker Allergan Inc. said Monday its 2006 sales would be between $2.81 billion and $2.95 billion, reflecting the biomedical company's recent acquisition of Inamed Corp. Irvine, Calif.-based Allergan maintained its previous guidance for full-year 2006 earnings per share of $3.56 to $3.62, including expected stock-option expenses of 20 cents per share.Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial estimate full-year earnings per share of $3.56 on revenue of $2.76 billion.Allergan completed its $3.2 billion takeover of Inamed last week. Inamed makes a range of "dermal filler" products used to smooth wrinkles that Allergan sees as a complement to its market-leading Botox antiwrinkle treatment. Inamed also makes saline and silicone breast implants.
Allergan intends to retain virtually all of Inamed's sales force, Allergan management said during a conference call with Wall Street analysts Monday.For the year, Allergan said its pharmaceutical sales would generate between $2.45 billion and $2.54 billion in sales, excluding the revenues from products acquired by its takeover of Inamed.The company pegged Botox sales between $870 million and $905 million, excluding sales in Japan.
Among the product lines acquired from Inamed, Allergan expects sales of breast aesthetic products to reach between $180 million and $200 million, while sales from its dermal filler business will range between $45 million and $55 million.
The sales estimates of the Inamed products are for an unspecified nine-month period of 2006, the company said.
For the first quarter, Allergan expects to see between $600 million and $610 million in sales, excluding the sale of Inamed products. Allergan said first-quarter earnings per share will be between 80 cents and 81 cents, including expected stock-option expenses of 4 cents per share. Analysts estimate first-quarter earnings per share of 82 cents.Shares of Allergan rose 4 cents to $111.96 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
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