We take a lot of pills! Researchers estimate that in any given week, 4 out of 5 adults will use prescription medicines, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, or dietary supplements of some sort. And nearly 1/3 of adults take 5 or more different medications. Although medications are supposed to make us better, that is not always the […]
Medications
Are Antibiotics Helpful or Harmful? What You Need to Know.
Antibiotics are the go-to treatment for many types of infections. Doctors prescribe them, and/or patients demand them, for a wide variety of ailments. But are antibiotics helpful or harmful? That’s not an easy question to answer because antibiotics are helpful, but they also cause harm. Certainly, they help many patients overcome infections. But sometimes antibiotics […]
Medication Errors in Hospitals – How Can You Protect Yourself?
Clearly, no one wants to get sicker while they are in the hospital. And certainly, no one wants to take a medication that could harm them. It would be easy to assume that your nurse is giving you the right medication at the right time, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Medication errors […]
10 Tips for Avoiding Medication Issues After a Hospital Stay
When you (or a loved one) go home from the hospital, there is a lot to keep track of, including medications. Although it’s vital for patients to stick to their medication regimens upon discharge, many patients have medication issues after a hospital stay. It seems like it would be easy to stay on track with […]
Mistakes at the Pharmacy
The pharmacy I use, part of a huge national chain, is busy. Actually, busy is an understatement. Several times I’ve waited on hold on the phone, listening to annoying music, for over an hour. And every time I go there, I grumble to myself, and to anyone nearby willing to listen, that they need more […]