Dear Pharmacist,

I just became a pharmacist and started reading your syndicated column. Your emphasis is usually centered around the benefits of vitamins, minerals or alternative treatments, as compared to prescription medications. I take offense sometimes because I think you should recommend more of our gold standard pharmaceuticals, which are FDA approved, unlike nutritional supplements.

The Food and Drug Administration appears to be close to approving the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption: salmon with cross species genes and an "always on" hormone switch that enable them to grow twice as fast.

By now you’ve certainly seen the sickeningly sweet Corn Refiners Association ad campaign touting the virtues of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

If you or someone you love has been affected by alcohol abuse, you know the great toll it can take on your personal relationships, work life and ability to function normally on a day-to-day basis.

A reader, Lucas Pattan, writes:

“I’m writing to ask if you could do a post over the next few weeks about what you expect the impact of the Gulf spill will be on America’s seafood industry.

Think strawberries are expensive now? Wait until they start costing people their lives!

You know that pathetic honking sound of forced gaiety that one of those paper party whistles makes? I swear that’s what I heard when the FDA’s recent news release, on the use of antibiotics in livestock, crossed my desk.

Most Sundays, I look forward to my leisurely read of local news over breakfast. But last week, two stories on the front page of The Palm Beach Post made me lose my appetite.

Because I’m a doctor, people I meet often tell me about the healthy habits they’ve developed. Some folks are proud of taking up exercise, cutting sugar out of the family menu and other habits that promote good health.