Published: September 04, 2006 03:51 pm            

Briefcases: Pfizer’s Exubera hits pharmacy shelves

After years of waiting and much hoopla, Exubera – inhaled insulin – is now available. It really is. I spot-checked some pharmacies and the ones I called had it in stock, waiting for prescriptions to be presented. And I’d say that, of all places, it should be available here. After all, it’s made at Pfizer Inc.’s plant just south of Terre Haute.

Exubera is a short-acting insulin that can be used by both people with type 1 diabetes and people with type 2 diabetes. Long-acting insulin still must be injected.

According to information from Pfizer, Exubera isn’t recommended “if you smoke, start smoking, or quit smoking less than 6 months ago.” It also isn’t recommended for people under the age of 18 years and you’ll need to take a breathing test before starting treatment and occasionally during use.

Pfizer spokeswoman Rebecca Hamm said the inhaler used when taking Exubera will come in a startup kit received when the inhaled insulin is first prescribed.

Hamm said the company has no idea about demand for Exubera, but does expect it to be covered by insurance. The cost is “on par with other diabetes medications; about three to five dollars a day wholesale.” That cost includes brand-name insulin and oral diabetes medications.

Before you throw away your rapid-acting insulin, however, ask if your insurance will cover Exubera and make sure your pharmacy has it in stock.



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Have you ever visited www.coveredbridges.com? Or www.mansfieldparke.com? Zowie! No wonder Mansfield Parke’s Mary Beth Goss calls Parke County “Indiana’s best-kept secret for weekend destinations.”

While you just missed Billie Creek’s Steam Harvest Days, there’s still plenty of things to do just about every weekend. This coming weekend, for example, is the Mansfield Village Cornbread Festival, and Bridgeton’s craft demonstrations and Milling Days, in addition to the Nashville Summer Star Tour one night and a Jeff Bates concert the next at Hilltop Farm. Oh! And there’s a car show in there somewhere, too.

Then the next weekend brings the Main Street Motorcycle, Scooter & Bike Show to Rockville, and the weekend after that features several events at Billie Creek Village, from Sorghum and cider to a gourd show to an ATV Poker Run …

I think you get the idea. Heck, the Covered Bridge Festival doesn’t even start until Oct. 13.

Check out the Web sites and get yourself out and about.



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While Mansfield is the site of about 20 to 30 weddings a year, these have largely been in the open air. Until now. Creekside Chapel of Mansfield Parke is now available to host weddings.

Located next to the Mansfield Roller Mill, the back of the wedding chapel is glass and overlooks Big Raccoon Creek. While weddings have taken place beside the creek for years, “some people just like to get married in a church atmosphere,” said Mary Beth Goss. She and her husband, Barry, are the ones who took the former Apple Cellar and transformed it into the wedding chapel.

The couple’s Mansfield Parke businesses can even arrange any type of wedding, from a small, intimate affair to a large, elaborate shebang including flowers, food, photographer, the wedding cake, a limousine and more.

In addition to weddings, the chapel hosts church services during festival weekends, Goss said. In fact, Sept. 10 will bring 10:30 a.m. services, followed by gospel music by Terre Haute’s Crystal Valley Quartet at 2 p.m.

As an aside, the chapel “used to be the funeral home back in the day,” Goss said.

To see if the chapel is available for your big day, call (765) 344-1889.

        

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