Archive for the ‘Pharmacy’ Category

Elderly men and women, as well as their families, should be aware that certain medications can increase their risk of falling. According to a recent four-year study, the risk of falling is 1.4 times greater among elderly individuals who take long-acting benzodiazepine (an anti-anxiety medication). Researchers involved in the study also found that elderly people who regularly use tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, anti-spasmodics, and certain antihistamines that block nerve responses (called “anticholinergics”) were similarly at increased risk of falling. These drugs and others were deemed by researchers to be “inappropriate medications” because they are likely to exert greater effect on elderly people than their younger counterparts or produce side effects (such as dizziness and drowsiness) that increase the risk of falling.

HINT: According to the study mentioned above, short- or intermediate-acting benzodiazepines do not increase the risk of falling among the elderly individuals taking them.

When an injury or chronic condition makes it difficult to take a bath or shower, it severely undermines patient independence and hygiene. Fortunately, there is an adaptive device designed specifically to overcome this problem in the form of a four-footed, long, sliding transfer bench with a swivel seat. This sure-footed device is constructed of sturdy tubular aluminum with a molded plastic seat (with backrest) and a non-slip service and integral showerhead holder, which enables patients at home to more easily enter and exit their bathtubs. An adjustable-height feature assures a perfect fit, and strong suction-tipped legs prevent movement on wet surfaces. The swivel seat locks into position, assuring seated patients that they will not deviate from their preferred seating position.

HINT: Long-handled brushes are available to make hard-to-reach areas more accessible to bathing patients.

While some of the newer prescription medications on the market represent real breakthroughs, other new drugs are actually no more effective than older, less-expensive medications. As with many consumer goods, we sometimes respond to a new drug on the basis of its advertising. However, those who want something more to go on should dig deeper. By definition, new drugs do not have a track record, so clinical trials offer the best way to assess them. However, it may take years and thousands of study participants before the full side-effect profile of a drug is known. In the meantime, patients should work with their prescribing physicians to identify which medications offer the best results for the least amount of money.

HINT: Because some medications take a while to kick in, stick with the prescribed dose for the prescribed period unless some difficulty arises.

If you have a chronic health condition and are planning to travel, it is in your best interests to compile a health profile. This typed document, which should be compiled with the help of your doctor, should list your medical diagnosis, allergies, medications (generic and brand names) and their dosages, the names and numbers of healthcare providers and emergency contact persons, and copies of insurance cards. It also helps to have your doctor draw up a detailed explanation of your medical condition and the medications/nutritional supplements that you are taking for you to present at security checkpoints. All prescription and over-the-counter medications should be in their original bottles and kept together in a clear plastic bag in your carry-on luggage.

HINT: Keep your detailed health profile in your wallet or purse, along with copies in your luggage and the hands of your traveling partner(s).

People with the inherited condition known as Lynch syndrome, which predisposes them to a range of cancers, may avoid developing colon cancer by taking a daily aspirin. Although researchers found that aspirin’s colon cancer-fighting benefit only exerted itself after several years, it could have widespread implications for the general population. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in both the United States and Europe, where a total of 560,000 people develop the disease each year. Some scientists think that aspirin reduces the risk of developing colon cancer by blocking the enzyme cyclooxygenase2 (COX-2), which is found in high levels in tumors. Others think that aspirin combats faulty stem cells before they mutate into cancer cells.
HINT: Aspirin’s potential benefits are offset by its propensity for causing stomach upset. Hence, no one should take daily aspirin without consulting with a physician.

Parents should pay particularly close attention when their children are started on medications for the first time. Each year, more than a half-million children in this country develop bad reactions or side effects to commonly prescribed medications, requiring medical treatment or hospitalization. Children under the age of five years are most commonly affected, with prescription antibiotics causing the highest number of problems, including skin rashes, stomach aches, and diarrhea. As far as teens (the second most affected group) are concerned, birth control pills are among the prescription drugs that cause the most side effects, including menstrual problems, nausea, and vomiting. Parents should consult with their doctors and pharmacists about correct dosages and be aware of potential side effects.
HINT: Liquid pediatric medications pose the biggest problem for parents, who may not be sure how to measure doses correctly.

The American Pharmaceutical Association recommends that consumers regularly clean out their medicine cabinets as a means of ridding their homes of old medications. With this in mind, remember the “three Rs”—review your medicine cabinet contents, remove expired medicines, and restock essential medicines to meet your family’s needs. Many people are simply not in the habit of checking the expiration dates of medications in the medicine cabinets. Medicines tend to have relatively short shelf lives. Formulations degrade over time and can become either ineffective or not very well-tolerated in terms of ingestion. In hospitals and clinics, medicine is thrown out immediately upon expiration. This is a good example to follow at home.
HINT: Medicine cabinets are subjected to high amounts of humidity in bathroom environments, not the best places in which to store medication.

Based on a previous major study that found a cholesterol-lowering drug (Crestor) decreased the incidence of deaths, heart attacks, strokes, and artery-clearing procedures in apparently healthy patients, more recent research suggests that individuals with normal (or low) cholesterol levels should start taking “statin” drugs. This recent study looked at people with normal cholesterol readings but high levels of “C-reactive protein,” an inflammation marker. While most people are not routinely screened for C-reactive protein, researchers are now suggesting that they should be in hopes of preventing heart attacks in people who would ordinarily go untreated. Researchers found that statins reduced the risk of heart attacks and clogged arteries in people with high C-reactive protein levels as much as people with high cholesterol.
HINT: Chronic inflammation, which a C-reactive protein (CRP) test can indicate, plays a major role in heart disease.

The class of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers are prescribed to limit the amount of joint damage that occurs with rheumatoid arthritis. Such drugs as infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel), adalimumab (Humira), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), and golimumab (Simponi) work by interrupting a protein that causes damage to cartilage, bone, and other tissue. As effective as these drugs are at reducing inflammation, a recent FDA analysis of these TNF blockers has concluded that there is an increased risk of lymphoma and other cancers associated with using these drugs in children and adolescents. This warning should be taken into careful consideration and in consultation with a physician by those weighing the risk/benefit ratio of these drugs.

HINT: Taking tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers may increase the risk of developing psoriasis and may worsen pre-existing psoriasis.

A recent government study reports that every year more than 71,000 children in the United States aged 18 years and younger are treated in emergency rooms for unintentional overdoses of over-the-counter and prescription drugs. More than 80 percent of these accidental overdoses involve young children who find and ingest medications while their parents or guardians are unaware that they are doing so. Medication overdoses are most common among two-year-olds. While these findings have prompted suggestions of developing better child safety caps (which allow only a measured dose at one time), parents can (and should) do a better job of keeping these medications out of the reach and sight of children. Parents and caregivers must also work to avoid medication errors.

HINT: According to the study mentioned above, misuse of drugs by preteens and teens and medication errors made by parents/caregivers cause about 14 percent of accidental poisonings.