Marketing and Public Relations Department
4601 College Boulevard  Farmington, New Mexico 87402  (505) 566-3205  Fax: (505) 566-3521
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: May 22, 2014
Contact: Rhonda Schaefer
(505) 566-3087
A Honey of a Cure – Patients Needed to Participate in Clinical Trial to
Examine the Effects of Treating MRSA
The collaborative efforts of two local doctors, San Juan Regional Medical Center and San Juan
College surrounding a study examining the effects of treating methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) wounds with local honey is making progress.
Working with the College and SJRMC, Dr. Joseph Pope, family practitioner, and Dr. R. Stephen
Rankin, pediatrician, have established a multidisciplinary group that includes SJC faculty and
staff from the medical laboratory technology program, biology and technology services. Dr.
Rankin is serving as the primary investigator, overseeing the clinical trial planning committee
whose members include Dr. Pope, Mary Doshi, SJC Medical Laboratory Technology associate
professor; Dr. Don Hyder professor of biology, Lynn Lane, SJC technology trainer and Beth
Philips, research consultant and SJRMC Institutional Review Board administrator.
Currently, Doshi has shown that the local honey is effective in laboratory cultured MRSA
samples, and the research group has received FDA approval to move forward with clinical trials.
Patients are still needed to complete the study, and Dr. Joseph Pope, family practitioner, and Dr.
R. Stephen Rankin, a pediatrician, are encouraging those eligible for the study to contact Pinon
Family Practice at 505-324-1000. To date, the study has currently involved seven patients,
however, approximately 30 to 40 patients are still needed to complete the study.
MRSA is a staph bacterium that doesn’t respond to the first-line antibiotics that usually cure this
type of staph infection. While people are often fearful of MRSA, it is actually far more common
and present in everyday life than realized. It can be found on a door handle, just like other known
bacteria and viruses, but is difficult to treat.
“MRSA has become a real challenge,” Dr. Pope said. “It is difficult to treat that type of infection
because the MRSA bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Our hypothesis is that honey
grown in Northwestern New Mexico will be safer and better than antibiotics.”
Any person ages 16-79 can participate in the study with the following:
 An abscess less than or equal to 6 cm in diameter on the extremity (arms or legs), or
trunk (chest, abdomen or back) requiring incision and drainage.
 Consent to try honey prepared dressing.
 The ability to return to the office each day for seven days for evaluation
Those with any of the following exclusionary criteria will not be allowed to participate in the
study:
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Under the age of 16 and age 80 or older
Have an underlying immune system disease
Abscess of face, scalp, breast or genitals, hands or feet
Diagnosed as a diabetic
Pregnancy
Allergic to bee pollen, honey or sulfa antibiotics and lidocaine
Diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease
Patient acknowledgement of current drug or alcohol abuse
All patients in the study will receive treatment of their wound for free. All patients will be treated
with either honey or antibiotics but patients will not get a choice.
“Honey is really an old remedy,” Dr. Rankin said. “In many different cultures and in many
different parts of the world, honey has been commonly used to treat wounds for a long time.
Honey also appears to have a safe profile as far as treatments go. It has very few side effects,
especially compared to antibiotics.”
For more information about the study or to inquire about eligibility, contact Pinon Family
Practice at 505-324-1000.
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