Go into any grocery store nowadays and you‘ll find lots of processed food products aimed at attracting the "heart wise" shopper who‘s trying to lower his or her cholesterol. You‘ll find "heart smart" juices, milk, popcorn, spreads, and breads down just about every aisle.

I‘m not a big fan of these gimmicky processed foods. One of the worst types of offenders, in my opinion, is the "heart-smart" margarine spreads. These products pull you in with promises of delivering delicious and all-natural ingredients that help lower your cholesterol. But how do they get away with this, when most products are nothing more than plastic butter?

It's sad that it has taken the death of Michael Jackson to put a spotlight -- albeit a temporary one -- on the incredibly serious and deadly problem of prescription drug addiction in this country. Of course, this was just a blip in the story of Jackson's death. And it's a shame, too, because it would've been a more lasting legacy for the man than thousands of people learning to "moonwalk."

Dear Pharmacist,

I am stressed out that I may not be able to get my pain medication, Vicodin.  I’ve taken it for years, following a work accident. I’m not addicted. I really have pain but the pharmacist told me that it’s going off the market. Please tell me he’s wrong.  I can’t live without it.

--P.T.  Belleview, Florida

Sometimes I wonder, who is the girl who will be the last recorded death linked to the HPV vaccine Gardasil?

She’s out there somewhere. She might be a happy child, enjoying her summer, looking forward to starting the first grade in a couple of months – still several years away from receiving her Gardasil vaccine. Or she might be a newborn, bringing enormous joy to her proud parents.

She’s out there, alive and well for the moment, and it couldn’t be more heartbreaking.

Question: How beneficial is a Brita water filter?

I am wondering what the benefit or harm there is in using a Brita water filter for tap water. Does it have any effect on filtering the fluoride from tap water?

On Monday this week, Michael Taylor began his new job as special assistant to the FDA Commissioner for food safety.  He will be in charge of implementing whatever food safety laws Congress finally decides to pass.

When Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey sang the Wayne's World theme song, "Party time....excellent," they probably didn't have swine flu parties in mind. Who could even imagine such a thing? But sure enough, that's the newest craze sweeping the world, with Mom's across the globe discussing the benefits of bringing their kids to just such a shindig. And why? Because they hope that exposing their children to the bug will build immunity against future exposures, when more virulent strains might possibly appear.

Could it be? Is the FDA really preparing to open their records to the public? Are they making a move toward transparency?

The answer is (to me, a hesitant) yes, if recent news is to be believed.

I was SO wrong about this one.

First let me describe a scenario that you might think is a joke if you didn’t already know that it’s just too weirdly true…