Eight Facts that will “Wow” You…The Today Show on “Pill Nation”

 

On April 10, the Today Show aired a piece on prescription drugs used in the United States. Normally, the Today Show is so liberal, I don’t always agree, but they really did a great section on the “Pill Nation” we live in today.

Here are some of their findings:

Pills (white rabbit)

They  pose the question: Is America overprescribed? Are we taking too many prescriptions for our own good?

  1. Over 4 billion prescriptions were written in 2011~of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. {Click hereto tweet}
  2. Nationwide Americans are taking more prescription medications than ever before.
  3. 15.6 million Americans take pain-killers like hydrocodone, oxycodone, and tramadol are the most prescribed.{Click here to tweet}
  4. More than 5 million Americans take a sleeping aid.
  5. More than 18 million take antidepressants.{Click here to tweet}
  6. The government estimates more than 2.1 million Americans are addicted to prescription meds.{Click here to tweet}
  7. Emergency rooms treat more than 1.4 million overdoses of prescription drugs each year.{Click here to tweet}
  8. According to the CDC (Center for disease control) more than 22,000 people die each year from prescription overdoses.{Click here to tweet} (Prescription overdoses can happen way too easily, especially among the elderly, when directions are not followed properly.)

{Okay people, help me out…there’s some serious tweeting to be done here Smile Please? This is important stuff}

The most commonly misused drugs are:

  • Anti-anxiety
  • Sleeping pills
  • Pain relievers
  • Antidepressants

Dr. Jerry Avron from Brigham and Women’s Hospital comments that we seem to be a nation that turns to prescription drugs much faster than man other industrialized, wealthy countries.

He also points out (which I have said before myself) that things changed in the 1990’s, when it became legal for prescription drug manufacturers to advertise. Demand for drugs skyrocketed at this point, but of course the drug manufacturers claim they only want to make the public aware of what is available.

Here’s the clip from the Today show that if you’d like to watch (and share)…I’m quite sure there are people that might listen to the Today Show instead of little ole’ me! Wink

But I’ve said so many of these things before. Here are a few of my old posts that highlight some of these facts, and maybe open your eyes to a new perspective…

 

How to Identify an Unknown Pill: Drugs.com Tutorial

A few posts ago I did a tutorial on drug interactions. As I said then, it’s so important for us, as patients, to take responsibility for our own health and educate ourselves so we are not so dependent on others. 

With the availability of the internet and some direction on which sites are reputable, there is TONS of FREE education right here at our fingertips. As I love to say, my go-to’s are God and Google. (Care to tweet that?)

Today, I’ve created a quick tutorial using drugs.com to show you how to identify an unknown pill. (You can tweet that too Wink)

If there’s anything you don’t understand or would like more information about, please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment or if you want to send me a private message use my “contact me” link in my menu bar. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you can click the photo and connect with me on facebook. (I always love new facebook friends!) Smile

And don’t forget, right in the upper right-hand corner you can just plug in your email and hit “subscribe” and you’ll get my posts in your inbox. And I don’t have one of those “don’t reply” emails, when you get my post you can send me an email with any questions if you aren’t comfortable leaving comments. Embarassed

Here ya go…hope it’s helpful! 

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How to Find Your Own Drug Interactions: A Drugs.com Tutorial

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Today I’m sharing a tutorial I posted on YouTube on drug interactions. 

As I’ve shared in my last few blog posts, drug interactions are becoming a huge problem due to the increasing number of prescriptions people take.

Take a few minutes (it’s short, I promise) to watch the video and then practice with your own prescription medications to see if there are any problems taking them together.

If you do find interactions, don’t panic, and don’t abruptly stop taking your prescription.

Print off the information (I show you how in the video) and take it to your pharmacist or doctor and let them help you evaluate the results.

Feel free to leave comments and questions and I’ll answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Hope this is helpful!

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Seven Reasons to Become Your Own Pharmacist…Well, Sort of…

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Working in retail pharmacy for 21 years, I saw the following scenario way too many times. The circumstances and drugs were different, but the result was the same. The patient had been placed in danger due to the pitfalls that can occur when getting a prescription filled. And I’m talking about when the prescription is filled correctly from the first step to the last. These pitfalls go beyond the actual filling of the prescription.

In the busy, prescription-hungry culture we live in, it’s necessary to become our own pharmacist…sort of. (Care to tweet that?)

Consider the following steps we take to get a prescription filled (with a little animation from me):

1. How often do we go to the doctor with the prescription we want already in mind? We are paying. Our doctor typically wants to make us happy, so if the prescription makes sense, we typically get it.

2. When we take the prescription to the pharmacy, do we sit and wait? I don’t know aout you, but the CVS’s, Walgreen’s, and Wal-Mart’s around here are never busy. Right? Ha! I take mine to the drive-thru to be picked up hours later.

3. When we pick up the prescription do we stroll leisurely up to the counter, chat with the pharmacist about the prescription, ask all of our questions, pay, and then leave? Typically not. Often it’s 5:30pm, after work, the line is at least five people deep to the counter, the kids are picking up everything on the shelves, and we just want to get the heck out of there! Are we concerned about the prescription? Only the fact that it will make us better. At the moment, that’s all that matters. Oh…and that it went through on the insurance card of course.

4. We get home, unload the car, take the prescription bottle from the bag and throw everything else away. After all, who wants all that paperwork on the counter? We know we’ll never read it.

5. We look at the directions of the antibiotic and take one. And of course we’ve also taken cough syrup and cold medicine to help us get through homework, supper, and getting the kids to bed.

6. Did we remember to tell the pharmacist that we were on Cymbalta for depression that we got filled at another pharmacy? It was cheaper at Wal-Mart than at our regular pharamacy. But it really has nothing to do with a sinus infection anyway, right?

7. And what about the Imitrex we took earlier for a migraine? We only need it like once a month, so it probably doesn’t even matter.

Did anybody think about what could very possibly and probably happen?

Confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Would  you have ever guessed? The drug interactions in this particular example caused Serotonin Syndrome. How could this have been avoided?

  • IF all of the prescriptions were filled at the same pharmacy
  • IF the physician were aware of all the medications currently being taken.
  • IF the pharmacist wasn’t so busy with the 100’s of prescriptions they fill daily, they would have caught the interaction.
  • IF we weren’t so busy and distracted when we took and picked up the prescription, we might have asked a question or two.
  • IF we carefully read the medication insert that came in the bag with the prescription.

Let’s be realistic. No way all of those could actually happen.

With the help of a computer (our loved friend and dreaded enemy), anyone can determine if there are interactions, side effects, if warnings, etc. It is very important to know your source—make sure the website you are using is reputable.

Here’s what you would find on a search of the prescription drugs used in the example above:

When the interactions for these drugs are searched, there are four pretty major interactions found. Then, be sure to scroll down to the section that says, “Other drugs that your selected drugs interact with.” That’s a real eye-opener. And then there are food interactions to worry about too.

 

 

 

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Interactions between your selected drugs

dextromethorphan duloxetine   

major inx

 

Applies to: Tylenol Cold (acetaminophen/chlorpheniramine/dextromethorphan/pseudoephedrine), Delsym (dextromethorphan), Cymbalta (duloxetine)

Talk to your doctor before using dextromethorphan together with DULoxetine. Combining these medications can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms while taking the medications. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

sumatriptan duloxetine  major inx

Applies to: Imitrex (sumatriptan), Cymbalta (duloxetine)

Talk to your doctor before using SUMAtriptan together with DULoxetine. Combining these medications can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms while taking the medications. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

chlorpheniramine duloxetine  moderate inx

Applies to: Tylenol Cold (acetaminophen/chlorpheniramine/dextromethorphan/pseudoephedrine), Cymbalta (duloxetine)

Using chlorpheniramine together with DULoxetine can increase the effects of either medication. If your doctor prescribes these medications together, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take both medications. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

pseudoephedrine duloxetine  moderate inx

Applies to: Tylenol Cold (acetaminophen/chlorpheniramine/dextromethorphan/pseudoephedrine), Cymbalta (duloxetine)

DULoxetine may increase your blood pressure and heart rate, and using it with pseudoephedrine may further increase those effects. Your blood pressure should be monitored while you are on DULoxetine. Contact your doctor if your condition changes or you experience increased side effects. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

No other interactions were found between your selected drugs.
Note: this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. ALWAYS consult with your doctor or pharmacist.

Other drugs that your selected drugs interact with

Interactions between your selected drugs and food

duloxetine food moderate inxApplies to: Cymbalta (duloxetine)

DULoxetine may cause liver damage, and taking it with alcohol may increase that risk. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with DULoxetine. Call your doctor immediately if you have fever, chills, joint pain or swelling, excessive tiredness or weakness, unusual bleeding or bruising, skin rash or itching, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dark colored urine, or yellowing of the skin or the whites of your eyes, as these may be symptoms of liver damage. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Are  you starting to see why it’s necessary to “sort of ” become your own pharmacist? Time to take some responsibility for your health and don’t just assume it’s in capable hands of others.

This post was just a little precursor to wet your appetite for the screen cast tutorial coming up on Monday. There are way too many prescriptions being filled and consumed these days for you not to know how to inform yourself. So check in Monday for the tutorial and I’ll show you how to check all of this yourself.

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Drug Interactions~What Your Pharmacist & Doctor Might Not Tell You

 

Have you ever thought about the number of prescriptions your pharmacy fills every day?

The smaller, independent pharmacies are on the lower end of the scale, but it’s not uncommon for your corner CVS or Walgreens to fill 700-1500 prescriptions every day.

The use of prescription drugs in the United States on the rise and the statistics are staggering. Check out what the Centers for Disease Control reported in 2010:

RX for blog pic

Over the last 10 years, the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44% to 48%.

The use of two or more drugs increased from 25% to 31%.

The use of five or more drugs increased from 6% to 11%.

In 2007-2008, 1 out of every 5 children and 9 out of 10 older Americans reported using at least one prescription drug in the past month.

In the United States, spending for prescription drugs was $234.1 billion in 2008, which was more than double what was spent in 1999.

One of the most alarming statistics reported is the rise in the number of prescription drugs used by the elderly population. Working in home health care now, I’ve seen this first hand. Most of the clients I manage medications for take between 10 and 25 prescription drugs. The following graph from the CDC depicts this increase based on age:

What percentage of Americans used multiple prescription drugs in the past month and how did this vary by age?

The use of multiple prescription drugs in the past month varied by age (Figure 2).

Figure 2 is a bar chart showing the number of prescription drugs used in the United States from 2007 through 2008.

 

There are several pitfalls in the medical system that prevent possible drug interactions from being realized.
  • Patients often use different pharmacies due to price or prescription availability, therefore prohibiting pharmacists from having all of the medications on file being taken. 
  • Pharmacies are often so busy, patients just want to get their prescriptions and get home, not taking the time to talk to the pharmacist about their medications.
  • Patients use different physicians depending on their specialties, and the physicians aren’t always aware of all other medications prescribed.

Due to this increased prescription volume per patient and the pressures of busy pharmacies and doctors offices, it has become necessary for patients to take some responsibility for their

own health, and learning how to discover possible drug interactions can be a life-saving tool.

Drugs.com is a reputable website to learn about your prescriptions. Tools available are:

    • Pill Identification
    • Drug Interactions
  • Drug Use Information
  • Side Effects
  • Dosage Information

Over the next few weeks I’m going to provide tutorials to help you learn how to discover what your pharmacist or doctor may not have time to tell you. Some of the information is easy to understand, and some you will need to ask your doctor or pharmacist about.

You know your body—how you feel—better than anyone. And God tells us to take care of that body because it’s his temple. 

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You don’t have to be a medical professional to know when something is not right. The tutorials I will provide here about Drugs.com hopefully will educate you about your prescriptions enough to answer some questions on your own, but also to ask your pharmacist or doctor specific questions you want a
nswered. Don’t hesitate to ask. You are paying them, and they are there to answer your questions.

Join me on Mondays for the next few weeks to educate yourself about prescription dr

ugs and don’t get caught in the pitfalls!

And PLEASE feel free to ask questions along the way. I’m a pharmacist. It’s what I’m here for!

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