Medication Safety
Some Healing Ingredients Found in Old Snake-Oil Remedies
Researchers dissect 19th century concoctions to find some medicinal secrets actually worked.
By Barbara Bronson Gray
HealthDay Reporter
Tuesday, Jan 29th 2013
Protect Yourself: Keeping Your Medication Usage Safe
Prescription medication usage is rising. Over the last 10 years, the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription in the past month climbed from 44 percent to 48 percent, says the CDC. And there was a similar climb for people using two or more and five or more. The average American fills 12 prescriptions each year, with 40 percent of adults over 60 taking five or more drugs.
Doctor-Patient Communication Key to Sticking With Meds
Study found that physicians who listen better gain their patients' trust
FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Ineffective communication is a major player when patients don't properly take medication as prescribed, a new study finds.
More New Drugs a Bad Fit With Grapefruit, Study Finds
Number of potentially risky meds has more than doubled in four years
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Nov. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Because of new chemical formulations, prescription drugs that interact badly with grapefruit have more than doubled in number since 2008, yet many doctors seem unaware of this, Canadian researchers report.
Fainting Spells Often Tied to Too Many Meds at Once: Study
Doctors usually work with patients to spread dosing out, to avoid such problems
SUNDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Taking too many medications at the same time could lead to repeated fainting episodes, a new study reveals.
Swallowing Nasal Sprays, Eye Drops Can Harm Kids, FDA Warns
Even ingesting tiny amounts of over-the-counter drops, sprays can have serious effects
FRIDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Over-the-counter eye drops or nasal decongestant sprays can pose a serious health threat to children who swallow them and should be kept out of the reach of kids at all times, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
Clearer Prescription Drug Labels May Be on the Way
Safety-standards group wants to simplify confusing language that can lead to dosing mistakes
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Confusing dosing instructions for prescription drugs cause more than a million medication mix-ups a year in the United States, but experts say proposed labeling changes could slash that number.
U.S. Antibiotic Prescribing Rates Highest in South: Study
Seniors took more of these drugs during winter months
By Denise Mann
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Older people living in the South tend to use more antibiotics than their counterparts living elsewhere in the United States, a new study shows.
Medications & Sex: What You Should Know
If sex, or even the thought of sex, is about as appealing to you lately as flossing your teeth, it's time to figure out what's going on-if it's bothering you.
Tuesday, Nov 08th 2011
Time to Dispose of Unused Medicines
by Marcia Mangum Cronin
If your medicine cabinet is out of control and prescription drugs seem to be creeping onto countertops and into nooks and crannies around the house, it's time to take action and safely dispose of your stash of unwanted and unused medicines.
