Dairy farm cost efficiency in leading milk-producing regions in Poland.

This paper examines the cost efficiency of dairy farms in 2 important regions of commercial milk production in Poland (i.e., Wielkopolskie and Podlaskie). Both regions gained importance following the market-driven resource allocation mechanism adopted after Poland's transition to the market economy in 1989 and accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004. The elimination of the dairy quota system in the EU in 2015 offers new expansion opportunities. The analysis of trends in cow numbers, milk production, and yield per cow shows different patterns of expansion of the dairy sector in the 2 regions. We selected dairy farm data from the Farm Accounts Data Network database for both regions and applied the cost frontier estimation model to calculate the relative cost-efficiency index for the period 2004 to 2009. The indexes compare each farm in the sample to the most efficient dairy farm in each region separately. Additionally, the top 5% of dairy farms with the highest relative cost efficiency index from each region were compared in terms of production costs with published results from a study using the representative farm approach. The comparison of results from 2 different studies permits a conclusion that Wielkopolskie and Podlaskie dairy farms are able to compete with farms from the 4 largest milk-producing countries in the EU. Although both regions can improve yields per cow, especially Podlaskie, both regions are likely to take advantage of the expansion opportunities offered by the 2015 termination of the milk quota system.

Drug therapy implications on activity: a focus on the elderly patient.

Drug therapy is common in the elderly and may be very beneficial but it is associated with many potential complications. Adverse drug reactions are more likely to occur in the elderly patient, presenting with a wide spectrum of symptoms ranging from minor to severe. Adverse effects normally considered to be of little consequence in a younger adult may cause significant morbidity in an elderly individual and may have a negative impact on quality of life. A number of adverse drug effects can impact on an older person's ability to ambulate and participate in normal activities including: dizziness, mental status changes, weakness, decreased exercise tolerance, movement disorders and falls. Careful medication management may improve the patient's functional status and independence.