The Good The iPhone 8 offers wireless charging, lightning-fast performance and small but solid upgrades to its camera, screen and speakers. Its starting storage size is a roomy 64GB, double that of the iPhone 7.

The Bad This phone has the same pedestrian design, missing headphone jack and battery life as the iPhone 7 -- and no dual camera either. The iPhone 8 costs a bit more than baseline new iPhones in years past, and comes only in black, silver and a new shade of gold.

The Bottom Line The sensible, speedy iPhone 8 makes a nice upgrade to the iPhone 6S and earlier siblings, but we won't know until November how it compares to the much pricier iPhone X.

On Nov. 3,  Apple will roll out its seductive sports car of a phone: the all-new, totally redesigned, edgy, giant-screened iPhone X.

So why buy an iPhone 8 when that sexy iPhone X is just around the corner? The 8 is last year's design with this year's technology. It feels familiar. It's a safe pick. It's a "let's not spend a thousand dollars on an iPhone" iPhone. It's a "Touch ID and a home button matter more to me than a leap of faith into the world of Face ID" iPhone.

Make no mistake: The iPhone 8 is essentially the "iPhone 7S." Apple saved the cool features and radical new design for the iPhone X, which costs 43 percent more -- $999, £999 or AU$1,579 to start. And if you want the truly impressive dual camera, with portrait mode and 2x optical zoom -- both seriously nice step-ups -- you'll need to invest in the much larger iPhone 8 Plus ($981.00 at Amazon.com), or wait for that eventual X. It's a different approach than Samsung, which made its whole line of Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones look new, but not too dissimilar from Google's take on the Pixel 2 phones. With the iPhone, new looks only come at the top end.

That X is tempting indeed, but my only real-world experience with the device is the brief time I spent with it at Apple's Sept. 12 launch event. Until I can eventually get one and put it through its paces, I strongly recommend that you refrain from buying any phone whatsoever.

But if you need a phone right now, or if you have no desire to pay the iPhone X premium, let's talk practical considerations.

The iPhone 8's best feature is its processor, a fast new six-core A11 Bionic chip, similar to the processor in the iPhone X and 8 Plus. Thanks to an all-new image sensor, photo quality has improved in low light, as has video quality. The iPhone 8 adds an improved iPad-style True Tone screen, and the speakers sound nice and loud. All the new iPhones include wireless charging now, thanks to a glass back.

If you have an iPhone 7, you'll find the faster speed, better screen and better camera on the iPhone 8 "nice to have," but short of "must-buy" territory -- unless you're particularly enamored with the wireless charging Android owners have enjoyed for years.

For anyone with an iPhone 6S ($595.00 at Amazon.com) or previous model, however, the benefits of jumping to an iPhone 8 ramp up dramatically. The speed, screen, audio and camera improvements will feel significant, and you'll get nice upgrades you missed when you skipped the iPhone 7, including water resistance.

So, yeah: That iPhone X may look great in the showroom window. But ultimately, you're driving off the lot with the practical four-door crossover. It's more affordable. It gets perfectly decent gas mileage. But it still has the same nice high-end navigation package, entertainment system and fuel-injected engine as that sweet low-slung coupe. Not too shabby.

That's the iPhone 8. The baseline 2017 iPhone remains a top-tier smartphone -- a seriously good phone. Just don't expect it to turn heads.

To combat this, states and hospitals have been building technological platforms to enable prescription drug monitoring programs that can the track habits of both prescribers and patients. But use of PDMPs varies by state, with some states mandating its use and others merely recommending that hospitals and medical groups opt-in. 

With the Trump administration saying it will crack down on opioid abuse, it begs the question: Could these data-heavy platforms make a dent in the crisis?

Every state but Missouri

As it stands, every state has its own PDMP, outside of Missouri -- the state has made multiple attempts and failures to implement a statewide platform. And 46 of U.S. states are part of the collaborative PMP InterConnect, an interstate group started by Appriss Health in 2011 that fosters prescription drug data sharing across state lines.

But whether PDMP use can truly impact the opioid crisis is yet to be determined. A 2017 study by University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Northwestern researchers found PDMP use effects remain mixed.

On the one hand, researchers found an underlying link between PDMPs and a reduction of misuse and diversion. Further, many of the programs provide a detailed prescribing history of a patient over the course of the past three months.

While the use of PDMPs obviously reduces the number of opioids prescribed within a state, the researchers pointed out a number of issues that PDMPs could impact. Namely, the ‘chilling effect,’ which could deprive patients of necessary pain medications.

Further, even when opioid prescriptions were reduced, the researchers also found that it didn’t reduce overdose mortality rates in states overall.

Another recent study by Pew Charitable Trusts outlines the obvious effects of PDMP use: identifying and reducing doctor shopping, controlled substance availability and prescribing, reduced medical and drug costs related to inappropriate prescribing, and improved health outcomes for some states.

But those benefits vary by state and are also hard to determine, as it’s not possible to conduct a controlled study. And there are so many interventions going on in states right now, explained Cynthia Reilly, director of Pew Charitable Trusts Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative.

“[PDMPs] have a benefit,” said Reilly. “We’ve seen nationally that there’s been a decrease of the prescribing of opioids and PDMPs are a contributor. There’s also evidence that use of PDMPs can improve prescribing decisions and decrease the abuse of opioids, and to a lesser extent that shows it improves patient outcomes.”

For example, Michigan is one of the states leading the PDMP charge. It implemented its PDMP in 2003, which was updated in recent years to address tech challenges, by transitioning to Appriss -- the platform used by most states.

“As a result of improving that software, we’ve seen an increase in the utilization of PDMP and a drop in volume of prescriptions,” said Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Acting Deputy Director Kim Gaedeke.

Both prescribers and dispensers are utilizing the platform to address potential risks. And the state has seen prescription drug deaths level off, said Appriss Health President Rob Cohen.

“It’s one of the tools that is certainly central in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said Gaedeke. “But now we’re looking to understand how do we continue to innovate and make it better?”

Data challenges

While some states have made good progress, it’s not a nationwide trend. There is still a lot of work to be done, explained Reilly. Part of that is due to regulations that vary by state, such as how long that data can be stored, among others.

“In an ideal world we would want the information from a PDMP right in a prescriber workflow,” said Reilly.

To David Kilgo, director of systems implementation at Wolters Kluwer Clinical Effectiveness, that’s the biggest challenge: the difficulty of integrating PDMP into the prescriber’s workflow.

“In many instances, the prescriber must leave the screens in an EHR, log into the state website, search for the patient name, possibly making several selections due to the variation of names, and then return to the EHR to complete the work,” said Kilgo.

Part of that is due to software models, which were built at different times, explained Reilly. Trying to integrate that data has been a massive undertaking.

That’s partially due to “the lack of a unique patient identifier that can tie records across multiple pharmacies within a state,” along with the “lack of data availability across state boundaries,” said Kilgo.

“Imagine, for example, a clinician whose practice is near a state border,” he continued. “Their state regulation may mandate validation of the prescription history of a patient, but only in the state where the clinician is based.”

As a result, the data received about a patient’s ‘in-state’ activity, may only be a small portion of the relevant patient activity, Kilgo explained. “The very nature of a retrospective submission versus a real-time submission can cause a delay that reduces the effectiveness of the process.”

Not only that, but once in the PDMP system, the data often looks like a laundry list, explained Reilly. It makes it difficult to efficiently detect a prescribing issue or any overlapping data.

Adding to that issue is a lack of data standardization, explained Gaedeke. While most states are sharing data, it’s not always efficient given the lack of standards around state processes and requirements.

Currently, Michigan is attempting to tackle this issue, by what Gaedeke hopes will be a standardized collection of data and the ability to make data available in real-time.

“I think the key is that PDMP administrators need to collectively identify what kind of standard to agree upon - so sharing data becomes more seamless,” said Gaedeke. “We’re sharing today, but certainly we can improve on that process, especially if states agree on standards and protocols.”

The way forward

PDMPs were initially instated to ensure appropriate prescribing and to avoid patients being given too many opioids. But it’s time the platform improves to make better use of the data to improve patient outcomes.

“I think the evolution of PDMPs and continued evolution is going to increasingly impact the opioid epidemic,” said Cohen.

The next step, perhaps, would be to leverage that data to address opioid deaths, enable treatment through PDMPs and pour more data into the platform to gain more insights, explained Cohen.

States are already making those efforts to determine next steps, including determining innovative solutions, utilizing data-driven analytics and “to hopefully guide potential policy decisions,” Reilly explained. “They’re also looking into whether we’re really making a dent [in the crisis] and whether we’re seeing providers using the data.”

PDMPs would be more effective if the platform could actually better inform prescribers and identify patients at risk or those using dangerous combinations or high quantities of opioids.

“The point of a PDMP isn’t just to turn them away,” said Reilly. “The point, in an ideal world, would be to have a dialogue with a patient. Maybe their pain isn’t being properly managed, for example. We’ve also seen that prescribers will use the information to talk to patients about substance use disorder.”

Too often PDMPs are looked at as a tool to impede access, but Reilly explained that those data and platform challenges stand in the way of prescribers having the time to make those crucial decisions.

To Gaedeke, machine learning and predictive analytics could be the key to making PDMP data more actionable. The tools could not just look at morbidity trends or frequency of patients receiving an opioid prescription, but to predict outcomes.

“The goal would be to use those technologies to pull that data in so you can have better predictive modeling,” said Gaedeke. “The prescriber could see all of that data in terms of potential overdose death, and the like.”

As usage increases, it could hopefully alert the prescriber that there’s something going on with a patient, said Gaedeke. And if the patient continues down that path and the provider doesn’t intervene, it will lead to death.

“The more we can predict that, the more effective PDMPs will be,” she added. “That’s the ultimate goal. The challenge becomes, how do you pull in all of the other data assets that could be helpful when trying to transform PDMPs to help us with the predictive modeling?”

PDMPs have “such a wealth of information to inform prescribing, so how do we make sure more people are getting that information and using it?” Reilly asked. That data can be helpful to determine hot spots of overprescribing and can help with more law enforcement engagements, along with helping patients get into treatment programs.

It’s not enough for states to mandate the use, as obviously “if you require the use of PDMPs, prescribers are going to do it,” said Reilly. The real questions are whether they’re using it well and if not, how do regulators make that happen?

PDMP use is “not just checking a box or jumping through hoops, it goes back to the idea of finding out what information is more informative to the prescriber and the best way to display it,” said Reilly. “And then, focus on getting it into the workflow and move toward e-prescribing.

Kilgo agreed that these improvements would be more helpful if more states adopted e-prescribing mandates.

For example, since New York adopted its e-prescribing mandate in 2016, the state has reduced doctor shopping incidents by more than 98 percent.

“From a fraud prevention perspective, speeding up the adoption of electronic prescribing of controlled substances across all states will minimize the opportunity for unscrupulous actors to falsify or forge documents,” said Kilgo. “It also creates a gate for opportunistic prescribers to pass through before establishing a practice that targets those seeking opioid products because of a substance use disorder.”

The Affordable Care Act’s primary objectives are to transform the current U.S. healthcare ecosystem into one that is:

1. good for patients, who can enjoy better health, share in their health decisions, and manage their expense effectively
2. good for the industry, leading to overall cost-effective healthcare
3. good for physicians and other healthcare professionals, enabling them to focus on delivery of optimal medical care
4. good for healthcare practices, aligning practitioners, fostering collaboration, and working toward a single goal of delivery of optimal care

If we were to rate the current progress of ACA, the healthcare sectors would have a lot going for them, but looking ahead, it may be a bumpy ride over the next few years with a lot more work required. As we benchmark the financial outlook for the first quarter of 2018, the positive indicators show healthcare companies’ balance sheets are strong, overall cost structures continue to improve, and stocks have good dividend yields. Continued demand appears to be on the rise for healthcare products and services, partly as a result of the growth of our aging population. Unfortunately, these positive factors are being countered by several negative indicators, including political volatility and uncertainty facing ACA and growing national deficit that could change some of the funding sources currently earmarked for the healthcare sector.

Prior to the implementation of ACA, it was well recognized by both the public and private sector that our healthcare system was not sustainable and we were on the road toward the “perfect storm.” The growing swell was influenced by 18% of GNP directly attributed to healthcare and expected to rise to 30% of GNP by 2050; care demand on the rise with over 25% of the population having multiple chronic disease and growth of chronic disease predicted to grow 1% per year until 2030; and consumer-centric care driving health and wellness to avoid higher out of pocket financial subsidies and chronic conditions. Even more alarming were statistics such as these:

• National average for readmissions to hospitals within 30 days following heart failure episodes: 20%
• Patients 65 and older cost over $26 billion annually
• $17 billion spent annually on return hospital trips that wouldn’t need to happen if patients received proper care the first time 

Adding to this trend is the fact that there will be a shortage of over 100,000 physicians by 2030.

GAME ON

Despite these mounting challenges, in today’s healthcare system, providers are expected and incented to perform at a higher level. As a key healthcare supply chain stakeholder and the routine “point of touch” with the consumer, pharmacy also plays a critical role in patient engagement, stepping up and delivering long-term expected outcomes given the headwinds of continued pressures of lower reimbursement, more governmental oversight, and expanded scope of responsibilities relating to access and coverage, emphasizing quality and coordinated accountable care, and expanding emphasis on addressing chronic care conditions.

Emerging Technology Connects with Consumers

The key to achieving successful outcomes is developing a comprehensive consumer engagement strategy by optimizing bi-directional communication: When, where, and how you reach consumers matters. The key areas of opportunities include a platform for greater access, medication adherence, predictive analytics that would share insight from patient data for continuous and sustainable insight, and solutions that personalize management and optimize patient care.

By increasing the involvement of patients in their own healthcare, enabling them to manage their wallet spend and proactively avoid health problems and better manage their conditions, we create a changing patient-centered technology ecosystem. Emerging technology helps improve access, efficiency, and quality of care by putting the patient in the center of the digital experience to drive patient empowerment and engagement. 

Based on feedback from the pharmacy community, here several key enabling technology initiatives that are being successfully integrated into business models:

Data, Data, Data! Including data analytics, artificial intelligence interoperability, and collaboration

• Intelligence and predictive analytics can drive patient behavior change
• Data is located in a number of databases, and previously it has been cost-prohibitive and difficult to manage
• With the power of technology, healthcare practitioners can begin collecting consolidated views of patients by connecting, cleansing, and joining all relevant data (clinical, insurance, demographics, and more regardless of systems or format) to improve the quality of care and outcomes, thus personalizing the consumer experience to drive the right treatment plan and behavior
• Emerging application of artificial intelligence or machine learning for more uses can be a game changer for clinical decision support: The benefits of AI could potentially increase 20% productivity gains
• AI-based enhanced EHR technology will aid clinicians, interpret data quickly, make medical and medication predictions, and help in decision making
• Additionally, pharmacy is exploring the use of AI enabling removal of redundancy steps to provide for a more efficient and seamless workflow between healthcare providers

Growth of Telehealth Greater access, medication adherence, quality of care

• Telehealth continues to grow in 2018 with the rise of new telehealth solutions
• Telehealth creates better patient access, engagement, experience, and virtual house call by pharmacy and other healthcare services
• Telehealth meets the consumer access demand by encouraging preventative care and medication adherence; offers a lower-cost, immediately accessible care option, especially in rural regions or for those who are time-pressed. It also enables the elderly and physically-challenged to obtain regular healthcare services without leaving their homes
• Additionally, data collected in these services will enable better cost- efficient coordinated care
• According to many pharmacy executives and other healthcare professionals, telehealth is a high priority, and 76% will offer consumer health services in this area

Smart Devices and Digital Medicine Mobile platforms encourage better patient engagement resulting in better outcome

• Besides the growth of telehealth and telemedicine services, there are a number of mobile software initiatives encouraging better patient engagement resulting in better outcomes
• We are seeing emerging smart technology integrated within commonly used medication/disease devices to improve patient engagement: Applications using Blue Tooth and /or Wi-Fi are becoming more prevalent to monitor, alert, and predict behavior and sharing patients’ information with their circle of friends, caregivers and family
• Recently, digital medicine announced the debut of a "chip in a pill," which provides the ability to monitor the physiology and behavior of patients receiving care for specific medical conditions, although there is a lot more evaluation needed on the impact of this technology

As digital health technology continues to focus on patient empowerment and engagement, 2018 is likely to be a game-changer year for the healthcare sector, driving improved access and coverage and increased coordination and quality of care, ultimately leading to better management of the spend in our current healthcare system.

David J. Fong, PharmD, is president of Dave Fong Rx Consulting, Inc. A former senior retail pharmacy executive for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, he is recognized as one of the U.S. and Canada’s business and professional healthcare leaders, leveraging his knowledge and experience working with pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, retailers, payers, and healthcare technology companies to bring value to the industry and the consumer.

The Good The iPhone 8 offers wireless charging, lightning-fast performance and small but solid upgrades to its camera, screen and speakers. Its starting storage size is a roomy 64GB, double that of the iPhone 7.

The Bad This phone has the same pedestrian design, missing headphone jack and battery life as the iPhone 7 -- and no dual camera either. The iPhone 8 costs a bit more than baseline new iPhones in years past, and comes only in black, silver and a new shade of gold.

The Bottom Line The sensible, speedy iPhone 8 makes a nice upgrade to the iPhone 6S and earlier siblings, but we won't know until November how it compares to the much pricier iPhone X.

On Nov. 3,  Apple will roll out its seductive sports car of a phone: the all-new, totally redesigned, edgy, giant-screened iPhone X.

So why buy an iPhone 8 when that sexy iPhone X is just around the corner? The 8 is last year's design with this year's technology. It feels familiar. It's a safe pick. It's a "let's not spend a thousand dollars on an iPhone" iPhone. It's a "Touch ID and a home button matter more to me than a leap of faith into the world of Face ID" iPhone.

Make no mistake: The iPhone 8 is essentially the "iPhone 7S." Apple saved the cool features and radical new design for the iPhone X, which costs 43 percent more -- $999, £999 or AU$1,579 to start. And if you want the truly impressive dual camera, with portrait mode and 2x optical zoom -- both seriously nice step-ups -- you'll need to invest in the much larger iPhone 8 Plus ($981.00 at Amazon.com), or wait for that eventual X. It's a different approach than Samsung, which made its whole line of Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones look new, but not too dissimilar from Google's take on the Pixel 2 phones. With the iPhone, new looks only come at the top end.

That X is tempting indeed, but my only real-world experience with the device is the brief time I spent with it at Apple's Sept. 12 launch event. Until I can eventually get one and put it through its paces, I strongly recommend that you refrain from buying any phone whatsoever.

But if you need a phone right now, or if you have no desire to pay the iPhone X premium, let's talk practical considerations.

The iPhone 8's best feature is its processor, a fast new six-core A11 Bionic chip, similar to the processor in the iPhone X and 8 Plus. Thanks to an all-new image sensor, photo quality has improved in low light, as has video quality. The iPhone 8 adds an improved iPad-style True Tone screen, and the speakers sound nice and loud. All the new iPhones include wireless charging now, thanks to a glass back.

If you have an iPhone 7, you'll find the faster speed, better screen and better camera on the iPhone 8 "nice to have," but short of "must-buy" territory -- unless you're particularly enamored with the wireless charging Android owners have enjoyed for years.

For anyone with an iPhone 6S ($595.00 at Amazon.com) or previous model, however, the benefits of jumping to an iPhone 8 ramp up dramatically. The speed, screen, audio and camera improvements will feel significant, and you'll get nice upgrades you missed when you skipped the iPhone 7, including water resistance.

So, yeah: That iPhone X may look great in the showroom window. But ultimately, you're driving off the lot with the practical four-door crossover. It's more affordable. It gets perfectly decent gas mileage. But it still has the same nice high-end navigation package, entertainment system and fuel-injected engine as that sweet low-slung coupe. Not too shabby.

That's the iPhone 8. The baseline 2017 iPhone remains a top-tier smartphone -- a seriously good phone. Just don't expect it to turn heads.

The Good The iPhone 8 offers wireless charging, lightning-fast performance and small but solid upgrades to its camera, screen and speakers. Its starting storage size is a roomy 64GB, double that of the iPhone 7.

The Bad This phone has the same pedestrian design, missing headphone jack and battery life as the iPhone 7 -- and no dual camera either. The iPhone 8 costs a bit more than baseline new iPhones in years past, and comes only in black, silver and a new shade of gold.

The Bottom Line The sensible, speedy iPhone 8 makes a nice upgrade to the iPhone 6S and earlier siblings, but we won't know until November how it compares to the much pricier iPhone X.

On Nov. 3,  Apple will roll out its seductive sports car of a phone: the all-new, totally redesigned, edgy, giant-screened iPhone X.

So why buy an iPhone 8 when that sexy iPhone X is just around the corner? The 8 is last year's design with this year's technology. It feels familiar. It's a safe pick. It's a "let's not spend a thousand dollars on an iPhone" iPhone. It's a "Touch ID and a home button matter more to me than a leap of faith into the world of Face ID" iPhone.

Make no mistake: The iPhone 8 is essentially the "iPhone 7S." Apple saved the cool features and radical new design for the iPhone X, which costs 43 percent more -- $999, £999 or AU$1,579 to start. And if you want the truly impressive dual camera, with portrait mode and 2x optical zoom -- both seriously nice step-ups -- you'll need to invest in the much larger iPhone 8 Plus ($981.00 at Amazon.com), or wait for that eventual X. It's a different approach than Samsung, which made its whole line of Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones look new, but not too dissimilar from Google's take on the Pixel 2 phones. With the iPhone, new looks only come at the top end.

That X is tempting indeed, but my only real-world experience with the device is the brief time I spent with it at Apple's Sept. 12 launch event. Until I can eventually get one and put it through its paces, I strongly recommend that you refrain from buying any phone whatsoever.

But if you need a phone right now, or if you have no desire to pay the iPhone X premium, let's talk practical considerations.

The iPhone 8's best feature is its processor, a fast new six-core A11 Bionic chip, similar to the processor in the iPhone X and 8 Plus. Thanks to an all-new image sensor, photo quality has improved in low light, as has video quality. The iPhone 8 adds an improved iPad-style True Tone screen, and the speakers sound nice and loud. All the new iPhones include wireless charging now, thanks to a glass back.

If you have an iPhone 7, you'll find the faster speed, better screen and better camera on the iPhone 8 "nice to have," but short of "must-buy" territory -- unless you're particularly enamored with the wireless charging Android owners have enjoyed for years.

For anyone with an iPhone 6S ($595.00 at Amazon.com) or previous model, however, the benefits of jumping to an iPhone 8 ramp up dramatically. The speed, screen, audio and camera improvements will feel significant, and you'll get nice upgrades you missed when you skipped the iPhone 7, including water resistance.

So, yeah: That iPhone X may look great in the showroom window. But ultimately, you're driving off the lot with the practical four-door crossover. It's more affordable. It gets perfectly decent gas mileage. But it still has the same nice high-end navigation package, entertainment system and fuel-injected engine as that sweet low-slung coupe. Not too shabby.

That's the iPhone 8. The baseline 2017 iPhone remains a top-tier smartphone -- a seriously good phone. Just don't expect it to turn heads.

The Good The iPhone 8 offers wireless charging, lightning-fast performance and small but solid upgrades to its camera, screen and speakers. Its starting storage size is a roomy 64GB, double that of the iPhone 7.

The Bad This phone has the same pedestrian design, missing headphone jack and battery life as the iPhone 7 -- and no dual camera either. The iPhone 8 costs a bit more than baseline new iPhones in years past, and comes only in black, silver and a new shade of gold.

The Bottom Line The sensible, speedy iPhone 8 makes a nice upgrade to the iPhone 6S and earlier siblings, but we won't know until November how it compares to the much pricier iPhone X.

On Nov. 3,  Apple will roll out its seductive sports car of a phone: the all-new, totally redesigned, edgy, giant-screened iPhone X.

So why buy an iPhone 8 when that sexy iPhone X is just around the corner? The 8 is last year's design with this year's technology. It feels familiar. It's a safe pick. It's a "let's not spend a thousand dollars on an iPhone" iPhone. It's a "Touch ID and a home button matter more to me than a leap of faith into the world of Face ID" iPhone.

Make no mistake: The iPhone 8 is essentially the "iPhone 7S." Apple saved the cool features and radical new design for the iPhone X, which costs 43 percent more -- $999, £999 or AU$1,579 to start. And if you want the truly impressive dual camera, with portrait mode and 2x optical zoom -- both seriously nice step-ups -- you'll need to invest in the much larger iPhone 8 Plus ($981.00 at Amazon.com), or wait for that eventual X. It's a different approach than Samsung, which made its whole line of Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones look new, but not too dissimilar from Google's take on the Pixel 2 phones. With the iPhone, new looks only come at the top end.

That X is tempting indeed, but my only real-world experience with the device is the brief time I spent with it at Apple's Sept. 12 launch event. Until I can eventually get one and put it through its paces, I strongly recommend that you refrain from buying any phone whatsoever.

But if you need a phone right now, or if you have no desire to pay the iPhone X premium, let's talk practical considerations.

The iPhone 8's best feature is its processor, a fast new six-core A11 Bionic chip, similar to the processor in the iPhone X and 8 Plus. Thanks to an all-new image sensor, photo quality has improved in low light, as has video quality. The iPhone 8 adds an improved iPad-style True Tone screen, and the speakers sound nice and loud. All the new iPhones include wireless charging now, thanks to a glass back.

If you have an iPhone 7, you'll find the faster speed, better screen and better camera on the iPhone 8 "nice to have," but short of "must-buy" territory -- unless you're particularly enamored with the wireless charging Android owners have enjoyed for years.

For anyone with an iPhone 6S ($595.00 at Amazon.com) or previous model, however, the benefits of jumping to an iPhone 8 ramp up dramatically. The speed, screen, audio and camera improvements will feel significant, and you'll get nice upgrades you missed when you skipped the iPhone 7, including water resistance.

So, yeah: That iPhone X may look great in the showroom window. But ultimately, you're driving off the lot with the practical four-door crossover. It's more affordable. It gets perfectly decent gas mileage. But it still has the same nice high-end navigation package, entertainment system and fuel-injected engine as that sweet low-slung coupe. Not too shabby.

That's the iPhone 8. The baseline 2017 iPhone remains a top-tier smartphone -- a seriously good phone. Just don't expect it to turn heads.

The Good The iPhone 8 offers wireless charging, lightning-fast performance and small but solid upgrades to its camera, screen and speakers. Its starting storage size is a roomy 64GB, double that of the iPhone 7.

The Bad This phone has the same pedestrian design, missing headphone jack and battery life as the iPhone 7 -- and no dual camera either. The iPhone 8 costs a bit more than baseline new iPhones in years past, and comes only in black, silver and a new shade of gold.

The Bottom Line The sensible, speedy iPhone 8 makes a nice upgrade to the iPhone 6S and earlier siblings, but we won't know until November how it compares to the much pricier iPhone X.

On Nov. 3,  Apple will roll out its seductive sports car of a phone: the all-new, totally redesigned, edgy, giant-screened iPhone X.

So why buy an iPhone 8 when that sexy iPhone X is just around the corner? The 8 is last year's design with this year's technology. It feels familiar. It's a safe pick. It's a "let's not spend a thousand dollars on an iPhone" iPhone. It's a "Touch ID and a home button matter more to me than a leap of faith into the world of Face ID" iPhone.

Make no mistake: The iPhone 8 is essentially the "iPhone 7S." Apple saved the cool features and radical new design for the iPhone X, which costs 43 percent more -- $999, £999 or AU$1,579 to start. And if you want the truly impressive dual camera, with portrait mode and 2x optical zoom -- both seriously nice step-ups -- you'll need to invest in the much larger iPhone 8 Plus ($981.00 at Amazon.com), or wait for that eventual X. It's a different approach than Samsung, which made its whole line of Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones look new, but not too dissimilar from Google's take on the Pixel 2 phones. With the iPhone, new looks only come at the top end.

That X is tempting indeed, but my only real-world experience with the device is the brief time I spent with it at Apple's Sept. 12 launch event. Until I can eventually get one and put it through its paces, I strongly recommend that you refrain from buying any phone whatsoever.

But if you need a phone right now, or if you have no desire to pay the iPhone X premium, let's talk practical considerations.

The iPhone 8's best feature is its processor, a fast new six-core A11 Bionic chip, similar to the processor in the iPhone X and 8 Plus. Thanks to an all-new image sensor, photo quality has improved in low light, as has video quality. The iPhone 8 adds an improved iPad-style True Tone screen, and the speakers sound nice and loud. All the new iPhones include wireless charging now, thanks to a glass back.

If you have an iPhone 7, you'll find the faster speed, better screen and better camera on the iPhone 8 "nice to have," but short of "must-buy" territory -- unless you're particularly enamored with the wireless charging Android owners have enjoyed for years.

For anyone with an iPhone 6S ($595.00 at Amazon.com) or previous model, however, the benefits of jumping to an iPhone 8 ramp up dramatically. The speed, screen, audio and camera improvements will feel significant, and you'll get nice upgrades you missed when you skipped the iPhone 7, including water resistance.

So, yeah: That iPhone X may look great in the showroom window. But ultimately, you're driving off the lot with the practical four-door crossover. It's more affordable. It gets perfectly decent gas mileage. But it still has the same nice high-end navigation package, entertainment system and fuel-injected engine as that sweet low-slung coupe. Not too shabby.

That's the iPhone 8. The baseline 2017 iPhone remains a top-tier smartphone -- a seriously good phone. Just don't expect it to turn heads.

Not outside the realm of possibilities is something like, "Releases Commemorative Pink Camera Strap!" In 2018 I think we're better than that. Probably. I keep reading.

"...Lends Support to 'Women Photograph'" is how it ends, and I feel a real sense of relief. This was an organization I knew and had covered in the past. It aims to 'elevate the voices of female visual journalists,' offering an additional resource for editors as well as grants and workshops for female photographers. I read on.

"Canon will work with Women Photograph to aid their travel grant program which funds female and non-binary photographers to attend workshops, hostile environment trainings, festivals, and other developmental opportunities."

If you're a brand looking to grab a slice of the #MeToo pie, you could definitely do much worse than this. Case in point: McDonald's put on a master class this year in getting it wrong. The fast food giant announced that it would be turning its logo upside down to recognize International Women's Day... a "W" instead of an "M"... for women... get it? Critics spoke up quickly, pointing out that it felt like an empty gesture coming from a company that can afford to do much more.

The upside down arches were on my mind when I started reading that press release from Canon this morning, so it felt very reassuring to see the brand pledging real support behind an effort created by, and created for, women photographers. Sure, it's all marketing at the end of the day, and I truly hope Canon's support of Women Photograph doesn't begin and end with a one-time workshop. Issuing a press release is cheap. Following through, and staying committed in the long term isn't.

But if you're going to talk about supporting women on International Women's Day, please don't just give us an empowering logo and a T-shirt. Instead, put your money where your mouth is.

Rhonda submitted her recipe for the tasty and popular Strawberry Pretzel Salad which turned out to be our favorite!

Here is the winning recipe.

“Mix 2 cups of crushed pretzels, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1/2 cup of melted butter and then press into the bottom of 9×13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees and allow the crust to cool completely before making the middle and top layers. Then beat 8 ounces of cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar until smooth. Fold in 8 ounces of Cool Whip until it is all incorporated. Spread the mixture evenly (beware the loose crumbs of the crust) on the cooled crust. For the top layer sprinkle 6 ounces of stawberry Jello on 2 cups of near boiling water into a large bowl and stir well. Carefully add 10-16 ounces of frozen strawberries and stir until Jello is slightly thickened (the frozen strawberries do a “quick set” of the Jello). Pour the mixture evenly over the middle layer, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed – at least two hours.”

This side dish has always been one of our favorites and we were so thankful that Rhonda shared it with all of us!

For submitting the winning recipe, Rhonda has won the Give Thanks To The Cook Personalized Apron and Potholder!

Thank you to all of our fans who submitted their favorite side dish recipes! Keep checking back here for the latest news and contests.

Today's post will help you do just that. You can easily get trapped in a rut during winter. The weather is miserable, and all you want to do is clad yourself as soon as possible.

So, what you do. You go back to the boring black jeans, same old sweater, and overcoat. Sound familiar?

Well, it's not easy to stand out this season. Considering most people (including you) are going to wear clothes that are more functional.

But, why are we here? We're here to help you be the best-dressed guy no matter the season.

We've curated 14 amazing street style winter looks that you can wear to work.

Scroll below to check out the 14 insanely amazing winter work outfit ideas.

What is Galentine’s Day? We’re not even going to touch this one, when Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) of Parks and Recreation fame sums it up perfectly:

It’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and boyfriends at home, and we come and kick it breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair minus the angst…plus frittatas!

From that moment in 2010, a fictional holiday gave birth to a real-life tradition with an almost fanatic following, with women everywhere declaring that this needed to be a real thing. And why not? What could better than getting together with the women you love and admire to celebrate friendship and gratitude for each other in a fun and meaningful way, complete with (let’s face it) two favorite food groups? Fizzy cocktails and whipped cream (not necessarily in that order).

So whether you’re into brunchin’, lunchin’, or midnight munchin’, we’re hooking you up with some simple tips for paying homage to your squad on Feb 13th that will definitely deliver all the feels to the girls who run your world.

Your Galentine’s Day party planning checklist

Galentine's Day

1. Invites —party’s at your place! (Or restaurant, or wherever you and the gals like to hang).Grab some cards and announce to your she-ros that you’re hosting a Galentine’s Day gathering to celebrate female friendship!

2. Gifts for your guests. If you’re thinking of handing out gifts to the gals, check out our gift guide for some fun and thoughtful ideas that will make them feel special. Galentine's Day

3. Favors that leave a lasting impression. You can scour Pinterest for hours for tons of fun ideas, but we love the idea of giving a feeling that will never fade. Head to your party supply store for heart-shaped balloons for each of your guests. Before filling with helium, write one thing you love about each guest on a paper heart and fold it up tight. Insert into your balloon (use a funnel and push through with erasure side of a pencil!), fill with helium, and add a ribbon. (Be sure to keep track of whose balloon is whose by using different colored balloons or attaching different colored ribbons. Not only will the balloons add to your décor, but guests can later pop their balloon at home to receive your meaningful message – priceless.

4. Get your groove on. Prep a music playlist about friends, or include songs that have stories behind them that you shared with various ladies in attendance. (You know you have them. Like the time you walked out of the bathroom at the diner with your skirt tucked into your underwear just as “Girl on Fire” came on the radio.) Galentine's Day

5. Bring on the bubbly. It’s never too early for champagne (it’s practically the new orange juice),so if you’re kickin’ it brunch style, Mimosas are an easy way to go. If you want something red and berry-ish to suit the mood, try rosé sparkling wine and add raspberries or pomegranate. Another easy choice is orange vodka, cranberry juice, and club soda topped with orange slices. Plus, these can easily be made non-alcoholic by simply leaving out the alcohol. (But we didn’t; just saying.)

6. A toast to friendship. (clink clink!) A few words to warm the heart always make for a meaningful moment. If you want to go straight for the jugular, you might try something like: “It’s around the table that friends understand best, the warmth of being together” – Anonymous.

Or, go for fun: “True friendship is when you walk into their house and your WiFi connects automatically” – Author Unknown (internet probably). We can hook you up with even more ideas if you hop over to our What to Write page. These ideas work well as a toast in addition

to messages you can write in your cards. (Cue all the feels!)

Galentine's Day7. Cards for everyone! What would Galentine’s Day be without a “tine” for every gal? (We just made that up. It’s the fizzy drinks). Of course, you’ll probably want to make sure each person in attendance is given a warm expression of how much they mean, and since you just saw our What to Write ideas, you’re all set! Simply head here to pick your favorite cards. Or, you might want to give everyone a Thank You card for coming and, more importantly, for being the good friend you feel so lucky to have. Galentine's DayOur girlfriends are like our second family. These days, with the world spinning faster every second (so it seems), it’s important to keep them close, and a little gratitude goes a long way in showing them how much they mean to us. Leslie Knope said, “Anytime a group of women get together, we embody the spirit of the holiday.” We’ll go one further and add that ‘we embody the spirit of friendship.’ Cheers to yours — Happy Galentine’s Day!

With its focus on family, togetherness and the forging of traditions, Christmas can be one of the most exciting and satisfying holidays for a newlywed couple. If this year is your first married Christmas together, here's how you can take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to commemorate the occasion in a way the two of you will remember and cherish forever.

Trimming the tree is a special Christmas tradition in any household. In a new home, it's your opportunity to blend past memories with new traditions and establish a unique experience that can endure throughout the years. Design a unique our first Christmas ornament to mark the special milestone and remember it every time you trim the tree for years to come.

You can customize wedding Christmas ornaments with personalized touches like your names, wedding date or a unique message. For an even more eye-catching look, hang a personalized wedding photo ornamentfrom the highest bough, and let the image of your love shine through all season long.

His And Hers Christmas Stockings

One of the best things about building a home together is getting to stock it with fun, romantic “his and hers” household essentials. During Christmastime, what’s more essential than holiday stockings? Festoon your fireplace with your first pair of post-nuptial Christmas stockings, and kick off a new tradition this year.

Want to really show your togetherness? Go with a matching pair of Mr. and Mrs. Christmas stockings, each one custom-embroidered with “Mr.” and “Mrs.” alongside your first or last names. Then add a personalized tree skirt with your family name to complete the look.

Custom Picture Frames & Wall Art

Make the season even more memorable by commemorating your first married holidays with a beautiful photo in front of the fireplace, by the Christmas tree or outside in the snow. Then put the photo on display in a unique, personalized picture frame. Select your favorite frame design from our huge array of custom picture frames and add your names, a date or a special message.

Or create a custom wall art piece, like this “State of Love” personalized canvas print that includes your names, a meaningful message and the date you’ve established your new family. Choose the canvas color that coordinates with your existing home decor and select the state shape to be used in place of the “o” in “home.” This piece will look great hanging in your entryway or above your fireplace during the holiday season and throughout the year.

So, it's time you stop wearing same old boring suits to work and let this street style star lead the way.

Start experimenting with colours, combinations and statement pieces to stand apart from the rest.

Scroll below to check out 11 amazing outfit ideas you can wear to work.

The design is limited with just 500 pairs available on the 16th of January release date. Find the kicks at both Overkill and adidas Berlin for 180 euros.

Herzogenaurach, 09.01.2018 – Berlin, a city full of contrasts, free thinkers and originality, will be the platform for a premiere: this month, adidas Originals will be presenting the EQT Support 93 / Berlin in cooperation with the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). The special feature of the shoe: The pattern of the BVG seat covers serves as a design element of the sneaker and makes it a collector’s item. In addition, a BVG annual ticket is incorporated into the tongue of the limited edition model. If EQT Support 93 / Berlin is worn on foot, it will be valid as a ticket for all BVG vehicles from 16 January to 31 December 2018 inclusive.

“Berlin has a special significance for us. The city and its people have strongly influenced our brand. We would like to thank the passionate EQT fans for their loyalty and passion with this project. BVG loves Berlin and connects people to each other, which was the perfect starting point for this limited edition EQT 93/17, “says Till Jagla, Senior Director at adidas Originals.

“How cool is that? Now we have an exclusive sneaker with our popular BVG seat pattern. We are sure that this shoe is a very special highlight for Berlin. It’s great that the BVG, which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year, is now becoming a cult object itself, “said BVG boss Dr. med. Sigrid Nikutta.

The EQT Support 93 / Berlin comes with a black mesh surface and white BOOST ™ midsole. The iconic three stripes in black also serve as eyelets of the BVG yellow shoelaces. A white leather panel on the outside provides contrast.

The We Go Together Like… Personalized Coffee Mug Set has become more and more popular with our Pinterest followers and with all these adorable phrases and design options, it’s easy to see why!

Have fun deciding how well you go together as a couple when you browse through the 8 exclusive design options that will be featured on each of the mugs.

Choose from Peanut Butter and Jelly, Milk and Cookies, Macaroni and Cheese, Rock and Roll, Pancakes and Syrup, Bacon and Eggs, the Moon and Stars, or a Burger and Fries! You even get to choose which name will be scripted on the larger and smaller mug!

The two mugs are created to fit together perfectly – just like the two of you! The sculpted heart handles help to complete the romantic design making it the best Valentine’s Day gift idea for Him or Her. It’s a gift that both of you will love and actually get to use – not to mention it’s incredible affordable at only $24.95 for the set!

But you don’t have to take our word for it – check out the Fan Photo Album that we keep on our Facebook Fan Page and you’ll find a photo of the mug set that one of our fans shared with our fans. She personalized the set with the Bacon and Eggs design a while back and her and her fiancé loved the mug set so much that they used it at their wedding (the photo she shared was taken at her wedding and actually shows the mugs right next to the groom’s tie). You can read about how much she loves it by checking out her official photo entry to the Me & My Romantic PMall Gift Photo Contest Page that we have going on right now on our Facebook Page. While you’re there, be sure to enter the contest – everyone who submits an eligible photo will automatically win a valuable coupon code and three lucky winners will be awarded PMall Gift Cards!

Be sure to also enter our Gifts From The Heart Pinterest Sweepstakes for your chance to win big prizes, too! They’re easy to enter and win so be sure to head on over now and take advantage of these fun Valentine’s Day Contests!

If you’re a fan of the cute designs featured on our mug set, you may also be interested in our We Go Together Like…© Personalized Greeting Card or the We Go Together Like…© Personalized Valentine Cards, which are great because instead of picking one design, you get to personalize an entire set that features them all!

We hope you have fun browsing through all the unique and creative gifts in our Whimsical Gifts Department when you’re shopping for your Valentine – and don’t forget to enter our contests after you shop, too!

Arsham has dressed the sneaker in tonal grey for its release.

Find the sneaker at shops that include NYC based KITH. Aberdeen based Hanon will have the sneaker available on Saturday, the 9th of December at 00:01 GMT.

Getting the festivities started this week will be the OG Gundam colorway which features a patriotic color combination of red, white, and blue. White and royal blue dominate the upper with navy appearing on the mudguard. Red mini Swooshes then appear on the toe and side panels with red also landing inside the full length Air Max unit. A black rubber outsole completes the look.

If you’re looking to pick up a pair, the Nike Air Max 98 Gundam will release on January 18th for a retail price of $160.

Sure my shoe wardrobe is bit too much white right now, but I am not complaining.

Oh, and yes I do not own a single pair of dress shoes (oxfords, brogues, monks) nothing, nada, zero. Not that I don't appreciate a pair of top quality dress shoes, but I think I am not cut out for that kind of super formal dressing.

I like to keep my outfits comfortable, casual and mostly simple. There's a huge misconception about white sneakers is that you can only wear them with jeans & t-shirt outfits. And that is so wrong.

I have friends who often ask me, why the hell are you wearing sneakers with chinos + blazer outfit? And my first reaction is "do they look bad" and their reply is almost NO every single time.

Now, to prove that you can wear your white sneakers with almost all kind of outfits, I have curated 9 sharp looks from Bernd Hower's (Insta Celebrity and Fashion & Lifestyle blogger) Instagram page.

If you are into white sneakers, then you gotta follow this guy on Instagram. His Instagram account is all about casual, semi-formal, business casual outfits. And one thing you can't miss that Bernd is a huge fan of white sneakers like you and me.

Ready to see some cool outfit ideas? alright, let's dive in.

Vans designers reimagine the application of color and materials extending a new design treatment on the elevated sidewall. Suede covers the Authentic Platform 2.0 and Classic Slip-On Platform across the upper and also wraps around the sidewalls of each shoe. This design detail creates a unique take on monochromatic styling that couples texture and added height for a fashionable take on Classic styles. The shoes come in your choice of Sand, Ochre, Asphalt, and Blue flower to create the latest statement piece from Vans’ extensive collections.

The Vans Suede Outsole Pack will be available at Vans retail locations and online at Vans.com/Classics this January.

When it’s festival time and your phone needs to be dressed as cute as your crew. (Hi, kate spade new york Charlotte Stripe case, $49.99!)

My clutch kept the party going, thanks to one rugged-but-adorable clip-on sidekick: my JBL Clip 2 Portable Speaker, $39.99. (That's $20 off the original price. Score!)

Stealing a little tent time was easier thanks to my BeatsX Earphones, $149.99, which cancel background noise so I can zone out, and my mophie powerstation plus 6000, $79.99, to get all my goodies charged up while I chill.

A girl with mermaid dust in her hair does not want to be tied down by a headphone cord. These Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones, $299.99, play up my style instead of cramping it. (Same for my Fitbit Versa, $199.99.)

You know it’s festival season when your eyeshadow matches your phone case. Mine—the Case-Mate Karat Petals case, $49.99—is made with real dried flower petals and metallic flecks, and also happens to match my rose gold mophie powerstation 6000, $49.99.

Welcome to my tent, where my JBL Flip 4 Speaker, $99.99, kept the chill vibes flowing.

It’s hard enough to snap the perfect selfie without your phone slipping around in your hand—my Metallic Diamond PopSocket, $14.99, lets me relax but still get a grip.

Literally surrounded in fun photo opps! My phone was out nonstop, ready to capture it all. I kept it cute (and safe) in a kate spade new york Flexible Hardshell Case in Hollyhock Floral, $49.99.

From living in dorms to cramped apartments, everyone has had to get creative to make a dining room. Fortunately, melding a dining room into a kitchen or workspace is easier than most people think. With a few innovations, making a dining room is relatively simple. In this situation simple is better, so there’s no reason to go overboard. Instead of blowing your budget on high-end products, it’s time to think outside the box. For this reason, we compiled a list of ways to make a dining room fit anywhere. These tips are a godsend for cramped living, so win back your right to eat comfortably!

Tips For Creating a Dining Room In Cramped Conditions

Tip #1: Utilize Unused Spaces – Usually a small apartment means that all the wall space is already being used. From sofas to counters, there’s rarely space for new additions. Get around this inconvenient truth by installing a wooden counter across a window. This innovation provides the perfect café window seat without encroaching on your décor!

Tip #2: Tuck It into the Wall – Everything foldable is a small apartment renters best friend. From high top tables to bars, there’s no excuse for settling for bulky furniture. Tucking it into the wall is the best option, so don’t miss out on this deviance from the norm!

Tip #3: Use the Right Seating – Picking the right furniture is just as important as finding the right spot to install them. Instead of taking up space with chairs, use stools that are easily pressed against the wall. These take up little to no real estate, which is perfect when space is tight. Take a look at our wide selection of Modern Stools to discover the design that’s ideal for your décor!

However, once the season passes ordinary Christmas lights don’t quite cut it. On the other hand, nothing livens up a home more than customized lights. Despite what many people may think, adding an extra touch to your lights is easier than you can imagine. All you need to steal the show is the first spark of creativity & a little work. That’s why we are giving you the ultimate list of DIY light customizations! Prepare to get inspired with this epic list of custom lights.

DIY Lights That Will Transform Your Home

Light Design #1: Who’s Hungry? – To add a burst of style to your porch, all you need to do is listen to your stomach. Celebrate your favorite food by painting ping pong balls & covering normal lights with them! You can get as crazy as you want with it. Depending on your tastes you can customize the ping pong balls to be hamburgers or sushi.

Light Design #2: Reconnect with Nature – If you want to get in touch with the great outdoors, this design is for you! All you have to do is wrap your lights with flowers. They don’t have to be real, you can always buy a string of plastic flowers that will last for years.

Light Design #3: Get Tropical – If you want to embrace summer all year long, you will fall head over heels for this design. Create little pineapples by combining grapevine tangle lights with a little bit of construction paper. This design will let you know that summer is always just around the corner!

sohoConcept designs and manufactures modern occasional chairs that can be used in these settings and more. Find out how an occasional chair can spruce up your business or draw attention to your décor.

Office Guest Chairs and Reception Seating

Occasional chairs can be used different ways in offices to make them more comfortable for both guests and employees.

Occasional guest chairs can be used in offices for job interviewees, clients, and other visitors to sit in an employee’s office. These need to be welcoming and comfortable. sohoConcept’s Harput Wood Lounge chair is a great example of an occasional chair that provides comfort while still looking professional.

Modern occasional chairs can also be used for reception seating in the lobby or entrance of your office. The Chelsea Sled chair is narrow and thin, meaning many can fit in a small waiting area comfortably.

For casual meeting areas, bright and big occasional chairs can be used. The Crescent 4 Star Lounge or Dervish Swivel High Back draw attention to themselves and in bright colours, can bring an element of fun and relaxation to a meeting area in an office. They’re a great solution if you’re looking for contemporary office chairs.

Fitting Room Seating

Retail stores can also make use of occasional chairs. Shop décors range from understated, to bright, to modern, to colourful. Occasional chairs by sohoConcept can complement and accommodate any stylistic theme in a retail shop.

Occasional chairs can be used anywhere in a shop. Decoration, accent pieces, for mannequins, or for displays – these are all great ways to incorporate them into your shop’s design. They can also be used in fitting rooms in a variety of ways. They can be used in the changing rooms themselves to give your customers somewhere to sit or put clothes while they are trying things on. They can also be used outside the fitting rooms to give their friends and family somewhere to sit.

Because every retail shop is different, the style of modern occasional chair for fitting rooms will be different as well. sohoConcept offers a variety of colours and styles that will fit with any retail décor.

Wholesale Restaurant Furniture

While modern dining chairs are the dominant seating in restaurants, occasional chairs can contribute to the atmosphere as well. They can be used in waiting or lounge areas in the restaurant, takeout area, or bar to give customers more seating options. Regular dining chairs can be used here, but occasional chairs often provide a better, more comfortable feeling for your customers.

Another unique way to use modern occasional chairs in restaurants is as the heads of tables. Using regular dining chairs around a large table with just one occasional chair at the head is a great way to accent the décor and make each table a little bit different. sohoConcept’s wholesale restaurant furniture, like the Rebecca Wire chair or Dervish Wood High Back chair, are as comfortable as dining chairs, but are larger and can make a statement as the head of the table. Your customers will love the break from tradition!

Luckily, the only thing stopping us from enjoying our laundry rooms is having the right game plan. By making the most out of the space available, we have the opportunity to win back our laundry rooms. Even though it seems unattainable, this skill isn’t hard to learn. For this reason, we have come up with a list of tips to win back space in the laundry room. No one should feel trapped while folding clothes, so learn how to make the most out of a small space!

Tips for Making Space in Small Laundry Rooms

Tip #1: Add a Folding Board – Getting your clothes in order doesn’t have to be a chore. One of the best ways to make things simple is by using a folding board. This can be installed as a countertop on top of your washing machines, or it can be pulled out like a drawer. Either way is compact & stylish, so figure out which works best for your laundry room!

Tip #2: Get a Side Table – While adding a bench or countertop can be cumbersome, a few strategic furniture pieces can save the day. Our epic line of Side Tables provide the perfect solution when space is tight. They can easily be moved to where you need it, so get the counter space you deserve.

Tip #3: Install a Built-In Ironing Board – While ironing boards are great, having one fold out from the wall is ideal. This allows you to free up space without sacrificing the most valuable tool in your arsenal. There are plenty of wall-mounted options available, so take advantage of them.

Despite these findings, the study authors reiterated that opioid analgesics remain the first-line treatment for moderate-to-severe acute pain in emergency departments. Data from 2006-2010 confirm that opioids were prescribed for 18.7% of ED discharges.

The full study can be accessed at: Chang AK, et al. “Effect of a single dose of oral and non-opioid analgesics on acute extremity pain in the emergency department.” JAMA 2017; 318(17):1661-1667.doi10.100/jama2017; 16190.

Study Objectives

A common, painful condition seen in emergency departments is extremity injuries. The condition is often treated with a single dose of an oral analgesic while awaiting further care. 

Although there are many analgesic options available in emergency departments, there is very little evidence with which to guide clinical choice of medication.

The study objective was to compare the degree of pain reduction at 2 hours after ingestion of four oral combination analgesics. Three of these combinations contained an opioid, one was non-opioid, and all four were combined with acetaminophen.

METHODS

The study was conducted in two urban emergency departments at the Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY. Study authors were from Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center.

This was a prospective study, in which a randomized clinical trial included 415 patients, aged between 21 to 64 years, with moderate-to-severe acute extremity pain and enrolled from July 2015 to August 2016.

Extremity pain was defined as pain originating to and including shoulder joint in the upper extremity and distal to and including the hip joint in the lower extremities.

The primary outcome examined was the difference in decline of pain 2 hours after taking the assigned drug per group. The degree of pain was assessed using a numerical rating scale in which 0 indicated no pain and 10, the worst possible pain. Subjects were asked to rate their pain intensity using the numerical scale before taking analgesics and then at 1 hour and 2 hours following ingestion.

The investigators assigned a predefined minimum importance difference of 1.3, stating that this difference on a numerical rating scale is considered to be a standard previously derived and independently validated, based on reports, to indicate statistical significance. They added that a difference of 1.3 is a commonly used criterion to define minimal clinically important difference in pain. Analysis of variance was used to test the overall between group difference at P = 0.05%.

For the assigned drugs, there were 104 participants for each of four combination analgesic groups:

• Group 1: 400 mg ibuprofen + 1000 mg acetaminophen
• Group 2: 5 mg oxycodone + 325 mg acetaminophen
• Group 3: 5 mg hydrocodone + 300 mg acetaminophen
• Group 4: 30 mg codeine + 300 mg acetaminophen

All drugs were formulated in opaque capsules so that they looked identical.

Subjects who required a rescue analgesic based on the discretion of the attending physician received an unblended 5 mg dose of oxycodone, which could be administered at any point during the 2-hour study period.

RESULTS

Out of 416 patients included in the study and randomized, 411 were selected for analysis. The sample included:

• Female: 48%
• Latino: 60%
• Black: 31%

Baseline pain intensity was initially high (mean score 8.7 out of 10) and did not differ between medication groups.

Pain intensity declined over time in all groups. The magnitudes of decline were as follows:

• Group 1 (ibuprofen): pain decreased by 4.3 over 2 hours
• Group 2 (oxycodone): pain decreased by 4.4 over 2 hours
• Group 3 (hydrocodone): pain decreased by 3.5 over 2 hours
• Group 4 (codeine): pain decreased by 3.9 over 2 hours

The largest difference in decline in the NRS pain score from baseline to 2 hours was between the oxycodone and acetaminophen group and the hydrocodone and acetaminophen group (0.9), and that was less than the minimally important difference in NRS pain score of 1.3.

Seventy-three patients (17.8%) received rescue analgesics within the 2-hour period. The distribution of receipt of rescue analgesia was not statistically significant, nor was the amount received in morphine equivalent units any different across groups.

Study Limitations and Conclusion

The follow-up time was limited to only 2 hours. A longer follow-up would have provided additional information, but the study goal was to determine if a single dose of analgesic would provide superior pain relief for patients while in the emergency department.

Another limitation was that it was unknown whether the duration of analgesia differed among the analgesics, although the half-lives are similar and range between 3 and 4 hours. Yet another limitation was that adverse effect information was not collected. The degree of adverse effects could influence the analgesic selection, especially if one group had significantly more adverse effects than another group.

Be that as it may, this study showed that for patients presenting to the emergency department with acute extremity pain, there were no statistically significant or clinically important differences in pain reduction at 2 hours among single-dose treatment with ibuprofen and acetaminophen or with three different opioid and acetaminophen combination analgesics.

Author: Richard L. Wynn, BS Pharm, PhD, is professor of pharmacology at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland Baltimore.