Group items tagged

There are several aspects that must be taken into account. There are instances where two different kinds of medicines lead to side effects, hence you must see how you are managing your medication. Let us have a look at some of the best methods to ascertain proper medication management: LEARN ABOUT MOST COMMON MEDICATION MISTAKES This is one of the first things that one should know about simply because when you know what can lead to mistakes, you do not make mistakes. Some of the mistakes that most patients make may be in the form of taking too much medication, mixing up home remedies with prescribed drugs, and non-adherence to medical requirements. Evidence suggests that such mistakes lead to the ineffectiveness of medication, side effects, and overdose. USE ORGANIZATION TOOLS It may get very difficult to keep a track of the time and number of pills you need every day. It is especially true for elderly people who have a need for polypharmacy which is the use of five or more medications on a daily basis. Organization tools such as pill-box, alarm watch, and water bottle can be really helpful. For example, a pill-box can be used to keep your medicines safely and separately as per their categories such as medicines for diabetes in one part and medicines for pain in the other. This would help you easily manage your medication routine without a miss.

A change in medication can benefit patients on blood pressure-lowering therapies significantly more than increasing the dose of their current medication. A recent study from Uppsala University that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrates this. In this study, four different blood pressure-lowering medications were tested out on 280 individuals over the course of a year. "The effect of a change of medication can be twice as great as the effect of doubling the dose of the patient's current medication. It was clear in our study that certain patients achieved lower blood pressure from one drug than from another. This effect is large enough to be clinically relevant," said Johan Sundstrom, cardiologist and Professor of Epidemiology at Uppsala University, who is the first author of the study. Most Swedes develop high blood pressure sooner or later; more than two million Swedes have high blood pressure at the present time. Only a fifth of them have managed to bring their blood pressure under control through drug therapy, and some studies suggest that only half of them take their blood pressure medication as intended. Could this be because the efficacy and side-effects of the drugs differ from individual to individual?

Storing your medication properly is important. Only if they have their place in the house will you and your family members always know where to find their supplements, pain relief medications, and others. In this article, we'll try to give you some guidelines on how to manage your medication and develop a system that will work well for you and your family. Also, since medicine safety is so important, we'll share some simple tips on making sure all medications are good and when is the right time to toss them. 1. USE A BOX 2. KEEP YOUR MEDICATION IN A COLD AND DRY PLACE 3. COLOR CODE YOUR MEDICATION 4. DISPOSE OF MEDICINE 5. ORGANIZE YOUR MEDICINE ON THE GO 6. KEEP IT NEAT Once you find a place where medicine won't experience extreme temperatures, humidity, and strong sunlight, get a nice set of boxes and take one afternoon to make it neat and organized. Even if you're taking specific medication, ask your pharmacist what's the best place to store them. Sometimes, it might turn out that it's your fridge, but a kitchen might also be a good place to start thinking about.

"Our main concerns are that the use of what they call an asynchronous supply, where the prescriber neither sees nor talks to the patient at the time they issue the prescription, does lay itself open to perhaps people getting hold of medication that they shouldn't," the Head of Policy, PDA said. The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) engages in a critical conversation on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, shedding light on the online prescribing of weight loss drugs and advocating for safer practices. The PDA's spokesperson, Head of Policy Alima Batchelor, emphasised the importance of adhering to professional guidelines to ensure patient safety and mitigate regulatory concerns. During the feature, the PDA highlighted the complexities and risks associated with online supply chains, stressing the necessity for direct clinical consultations and pharmacist involvement in medication management. ""There are guidelines and advice about verification within the DiCE guidance, but it doesn't go quite far enough for us. We are concerned when patients decline to allow the online prescriber to advise their GP of what they're taking," Batchelor highlighted.

Following the publication of a new study by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) that estimates the economic impact and prevelance of hazardous NSAID prescribing in England, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has underscored the pressing need for enhanced safety measures in medication management. The study, led by RPS Fellow Rachel Elliott, reveals significant health and financial costs associated with the high-risk prescribing of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) among vulnerable populations. James Davies, Director for England at the RPS, emphasised the critical findings of the research. "Improving the safety of NSAID prescribing requires a multi-pronged approach, that educates and supports prescribers on the risk, as well as uses the skills of pharmacists in the primary care team to help identify higher risk patients and prescribing scenarios," Davies remarked. The study highlights that NSAIDs, while effective in managing pain and inflammation, are associated with serious adverse events, including gastrointestinal bleeding, renal dysfunction, and cardiovascular issues.

Winter is imminent and with dropping temperatures viruses are bound to be more prevalent, exacerbating health problems among the vulnerable and immunocompromised patients. This can cause serious complications, and therefore, it's important to know the symptoms, methods to manage them and when to refer. A healthy person can usually manage the illnesses with over-the counter medication. Colds, flu and Covid-19 are caused by different viruses. As some of their symptoms overlap, it may be hard to tell the difference. However, some key differences are shown in the following figure. It is also possible to suffer from cold/flu and Covid-19 simultaneously, which can complicate matters. As per NHS guidelines, anyone with fever, cough, loss/change in sense of taste and/or smell has to self-isolate and request a Covid test. Pharmacy Advice The pharmacy team should advise patients with symptoms to take rest, ensure adequate hydration and take balanced nutrition. Supplements such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D and zinc can also help to boost the immune system and can be recommended.

There is no doubt that the pandemic has changed the way healthcare professionals work within the primary care setting. The advent of Covid-19 meant that we all had to rapidly modify the way we supported and met the needs of patients, some of whom saw the services they usually took for granted, virtually cease overnight. There are around 15 million people in England living with long-term health conditions including asthma. These people have the greatest healthcare needs of the whole population with 50 per cent of all GP appointments and 70 per cent of all bed days taken by this cohort of patients, and their treatment and care absorbing 70 per cent of acute and primary care budgets in England. This situation isn't going to improve any time soon. In the past, most people had a single condition, today multi-morbidity is becoming the norm. At the start of the pandemic, the Royal College of General Practice and British Medical Association issued guidance to practices on prioritising workload. This included the importance of maintaining long-term condition reviews in asthma, COPD and diabetes, along with appropriate transition of at-risk warfarin patients. These reviews were deemed as essential workstreams for patients considered to be at high risk. Traditionally, the unique skills set of a pharmacist has meant that we have played a major role in supporting these patients. I work with a team of over 90 clinical pharmacists who, in partnership with individual practices, PCNs, CCGs and STPs, help with the long-term management of people with chronic conditions. But the onset of Covid-19 meant that we now had to plug a potential gap in service provision, and quickly.

The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has urged NHS England to expand the Pharmacy First service by increasing treatment options, adding more conditions, and integrating Independent Prescribing into the service. This would further promote pharmacists as antimicrobial stewards while enhancing patient access to urgent care, it said. Managing patient demand for antibiotics remains a challenge for healthcare professionals, including pharmacists. However, a new report by CCA confirms that pharmacists are acting as responsible providers of antibiotics, in line with Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) guidelines. The service allows pharmacies to provide advice and treatment, including prescription-only medication, for seven common conditions: earache, uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women, sore throat, sinusitis, infected insect bites, impetigo, and shingles. Patients can access the service via GP referrals or by visiting or contacting a pharmacy directly.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has made a new recommendation in its final guidance this week that could benefit almost 30,000 adults suffering from moderate to severe symptoms of uterine fibroids. The Department of Health and Social Care's executive non-departmental public body, NICE, has recommended linzagolix, also known as Yselty by Theramex to treat uterine fibroids. Linzagolix is recommended for use as a longer-term treatment (more than 6 months) and is not for people who need short-term treatment, for example, before planned uterine fibroid surgery. According to Jonathan Benger, NICE's Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, expressed his approval of the new recommendation, stating, " What makes Linzagolix particularly noteworthy is its flexibility; it can be taken either with or without hormone therapy. "This means that clinicians can now offer a more personalised approach to care, tailoring treatment to the specific needs and circumstances of each patient. "For many women, this will represent a significant improvement in managing this often challenging and distressing condition."

303: Tuberculosis (N) is organized by Medical Education Systems (MedEdSys), Inc. Identify the CDC guidelines for mandatory reporting requirements of TB.