How often has this happened to you: You pick up a prescription at the pharmacy and later realize you have questions about something in the directions or warnings. Or you buy an over-the-counter (OTC) drug but aren’t sure about the correct dosage after reading the label. That’s where pharmacists come in. Whether at your local… Continue reading How Pharmacists Can Help You
Category: Prescription Drugs
Patients Want to Know More About The Medicines They’re Taking
Many patients want more information on the medicines they’re prescribed and are concerned about long-term side effects, according to a new study. The research, from the University of Kent, in the UK, is the first major study of the burden of long-term medicine use. Professor Janet Krska and two other researchers at the university’s Medway… Continue reading Patients Want to Know More About The Medicines They’re Taking
Too Many Antibiotics Still Being Prescribed
Although it’s well known that antibiotics are over-prescribed, the drugs are still given to patients at surprisingly high rates, according to a new study. The findings, by researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, were published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The study was based on an analysis… Continue reading Too Many Antibiotics Still Being Prescribed
How to Buy Medicines Safely from An Online Pharmacy
Ever been tempted to buy your medicines from an online pharmacy or another website? Protect yourself and your family by using caution when buying medicine online. There are many pharmacy websites that operate legally and offer convenience, privacy, and safeguards for purchasing medicines. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that there are… Continue reading How to Buy Medicines Safely from An Online Pharmacy
Sleeping Pills Raise Risk of Hip Fractures
Older people who have been newly prescribed certain kinds of sleeping pills have more than double the risk of hip fracture in the first two weeks of use, when compared to non-users, according to new research. The analysis, which looked at the use of pills such as benzodiazepines and ‘Z-drugs,’ was conducted by investigators at… Continue reading Sleeping Pills Raise Risk of Hip Fractures
Five Tips for Getting Smarter With Medications in 2016
With 4 in 10 Americans regularly taking a prescription medication and nearly $260 billion spent by consumers on prescriptions in 2014, expert pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein, a spokesperson for FamilyWize, is offering the following tips to help consumers get healthier with their medications in 2016: Know what medicine you are taking and why you are taking it:You should know at… Continue reading Five Tips for Getting Smarter With Medications in 2016
5 Ways to Be Smart About Prescription Drugs
With 4 in 10 Americans regularly taking a prescription medication and nearly $260 billion spent by consumers on prescriptions in 2014, expert pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein, a spokesperson for FamilyWize, a price-comparison tool for prescription drugs, is offering the following tips to help consumers get healthier with their medications this year: Know what medicine you… Continue reading 5 Ways to Be Smart About Prescription Drugs
What Medicines Should You Take for Gout?
Gout, one of the most painful forms of arthritis, occurs when uric acid builds up in the body. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, this buildup can lead to sharp uric acid crystal deposits in joints, often in the big toe; deposits of uric acid (called tophi) that look… Continue reading What Medicines Should You Take for Gout?
5 Potentially Dangerous Medications in People 65 and Older
It’s no secret that our bodies change over time, but what you may not realize is that these changes can affect the way some drugs work in our bodies. In fact, by the time we hit 65, some drugs—whether prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) — may act differently in your body, but you might actually think… Continue reading 5 Potentially Dangerous Medications in People 65 and Older
What You Need to Know About Generic Drugs
Editor’s note: No matter what prescription drugs you’re taking, there are several issues you should be aware of: how effective the drugs are, whether they interact with any other medicines you might be taking, and whether a chaper generic is as good as a more expensive brand name. The generic-vs.-name brand issue can be especially… Continue reading What You Need to Know About Generic Drugs
Safety Concerns About New Drugs
The authors of a study published in the August 2014 issue of Health Affairs contend that when the FDA approval process for medications changed in 1992 with the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), which allowed the FDA to collect fees to expedite drug approvals, the new process may have led to the release of drugs before they could be adequately evaluated for safety issues.