This morning I checked with fascination for an update on the "Starbucks Poisoner". ABC News had this report. Two interesting tidbits from this report. The alleged poisoner was described as a chemist. She worked at a Johnson and Johnson subsidiary developing drug delivery systems. You would think an expert on drug delivery could figure out a better way to deliver a poison. Dart gun maybe? an umbrella? Clearly no creativity. The news report called her a chemist rather than a pharmacist. I will be be sure to remind our students that they two can become "chemists". Hopefully their moral compass will be pointing a little straighter.
The other interesting tidbit is that the poison, rubbing alcohol, was in lethal amounts. Two bottles, mixed with juice is not likely a lethal dose. Rubbing alcohol is most frequently isopropyl alcohol. It is more intoxicating than ethanol. It is also a frequent substitution for ethanol with some needy people run out. More intoxicating means a couple of shots of isopropyl will get you drunker than a couple shots of booze. So in theory it is more lethal than ethanol. People do drink themselves to death, both acutely and chronically. A novice drinker can put themselves into a coma with 9 - 12 ounces of ethanol. More is needed to be make you forget to breath and be lethal. Isopropyl would take a little less. But a bottle (12 oz) of juice that was pure isopropyl would be only a start. In addition, isopropyl is very hard on your stomach. Most novice drinkers would vomit it back up before it is absorbed.
So is isopropyl alcohol a poison? Yes. Can you drink enough to induce death? Yes. Did these two bottles spiked with isopropyl alcohol have to cause death? Very unlikely in an adult.
Nonetheless, I am sticking with Fiddleheads and Alterra for my coffee.
Interesting news day...
First there is the story on Plan B One Step being offered over the counter to kids over the age of 15. (I was corrected over breakfast that those are young women.) Clearly a story of cultural, religious and political impact. It also will have an impact on pharmacists in their day to day practice.
Next there was the story of congress demanding US intervention in Syria over the alleged use of sarin gas. You can understand the hesitancy of the President after the fall out over the Iraq war and WMD intelligence. But nerve gas is a horrible weapon that does not discriminate who it injures. Clearly a story of important worldwide political impact. But nerve gas will also effect pharmacists as we prepare to serve poisoned patients. And, or course, this is a fascinating tox story.
By now we all know the Elvis impersonator has been exonerated and a different guy was charged with mailing ricin to our President. Any story that involves any connection to Elvis is fantastic. Any story that involves Elvis also involves toxicology. That goes withour saying. But including a WMD like ricin, that's just gravy.
Then there is Michael Jackson's wrongful death trial. Drugs, overdose and toxicology. Can anyone believe the doctor's story that Michael Jackson injected himself? Propofol is an extraordinary sedative. Stay tuned for for more fun tox news out of Hollywood.
The best story of all was buried deep in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel under national news. Something about a poisoning at Starbucks. An e-mail from a colleague with this link was waiting for me this morning. PHARMACIST ARRESTED FOR LEAVING POISONED ORANGE JUICE AT STARBUCKS. A pharmacist. Really!? According to the story two bottle of orange juice laced with isopropyl alcohol were placed in the refrigerator. Thankfully no one drank them. That has to be the top news story of the day. Toxicology, poisoning and pharmacists, amazing.
Interesting news day...
