The heparin debacle is the only thing that’s going to be on my mind each time I pop pills or open a bottle of medicine, along with the question of how safe the drugs we use are. It’s an irony of sorts that the very drugs that are supposed to save lives end up taking them in a bizarre twist of events. The blame game has been going on for a while now with the Chinese government, the FDA, Baxter which was responsible for the manufacture of the drug and Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL) which sourced the powder that heparin is made from, throwing the ball to the others’ courts even as they tried to wash their hands off the situation.

On one hand we hear stories of the FDA’s financial troubles, the reason being cited for the failure to inspect SPL’s Shanghai plant. And other the other we see statements from Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research that the FDA bungled badly and got the names of the factories mixed up when conducting inspections.

The SPL factory is guilty though, of deliberately adding over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate to the heparin pipeline because of a shortage of raw material from pigs (the main compound in heparin powder) following the blue ear virus and it’s destructive effect on the pig population of China. Considering that drug companies all over the world outsource their manufacturing operations to countries like China, not for the cheap man power but for its bountiful pig population, a situation like this is bound to happen each time a shortage occurs and the factory is not able to keep up with the demand for the drug.

No matter how stringent the rules are, the truth is that as long as there is room for error, both from the human fallibility factor and from the possibility of animal diseases, mix-ups like this are bound to happen. So what then is the alternative, one that’s safe and cost-effective? Rensselaer Polytechnic researcher Dr. Robert Linhart and his team have successfully demonstrated the value of the synthetic heparin that they’ve manufactured. While it has proved to be safe so far, it remains to be seen if it can be produced in large amounts in a cost-effective manner.

Till then, for the millions of people who depend on heparin and similar drugs to prevent heart disease, there’s no alternative but to cross their fingers each time they take their medication and hope that nothing untoward happens. 

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There’s a reason they call it the life cycle – we’re helpless at birth, we grow into self-sufficient adults, and we revert back to helplessness as we age; the cycle of life is complete at death. While most of us are not averse to and always enjoy looking after little children, we’re reluctant to get our care-giving side to kick in when it comes to looking after the elderly, especially those who are ill and need special care. While some do it for the perks that come later (where there’s a will, there’s a motive), there are others who are genuinely dedicated to their old parents or relatives and do everything they possibly can to give them the best care till they die a peaceful death. It’s the latter kind who end up running themselves ragged in their zeal to be good caregivers, and neglect to take care of themselves. For these caregivers and others like them, here are a few “ME” tips:

    * Don’t let your patients get to you: Children and the elderly are more alike than we realize – they’re masters of manipulation. They know how to feed your guilt and get you to do things for them that they’re perfectly capable of doing themselves. They make you feel miserable if you so much as show the slightest signs of refusing them. If you give in to them once, you’re bound to give in to them at all times, fearing the tantrums and/or snide remarks that are too difficult to handle. Put your foot down firmly if you feel they’re taking you for granted, without feeling guilty about it, or you’ll end up resenting their demands for your time and attention.
    * Don’t end up becoming a patient yourself: Look after yourself well so that you’re well enough to take care of those who depend on you. If you neglect yourself, you may end up falling ill and unable to care for yourself or for the people who live with you. Eat healthy food, get in an hour of exercise, and get out in the fresh air once every day.
    * Set aside time for yourself: Make some “ME” time everyday so that you can enjoy doing the things you love most. Schedule these activities when you know you are not likely to be interrupted, like when your elderly charges are down for an afternoon nap or late at night after they’ve retired for the day.
    * Don’t feel disappointed if you’re not appreciated: Care-giving is often a thankless job, and you’re bound to feel depressed and resentful if you expect appreciation for looking after your elderly parents or relatives. While some people are grateful, others think that it’s your bounden duty to care for them. You know you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart, and that should be enough thanks for you. Expecting gratitude when none is forthcoming is only going to end in disappointment and regret.
    * Spend time with other people like yourself: Most people don’t understand the stress and loneliness that are a part and parcel of caregivers’ lives, unless they’re caregivers themselves. Spend some time each week meeting people in situations similar to yours so that you have a forum to share your feelings and frustrations.
 

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