February 23, 2012

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The Stupidity of Individuals That Take Drugs not Prescribed to Them

 

Taking strange pills can kill people, yet some take them all the time to get high. Pills from their ‘friends’ and dealers. 

 

One man in his late-twenties in Portland, Oregon (Travis) reports that he was quite the partier when he was younger. He was known for drinking and taking all kinds of drugs. 

 

One night he and his room mate were sitting on the couch, drunk and carrying on a slurred conversation. They were closely examining pills they‘d found; they didn‘t recognize them. Then, with a grin and a knowing look to each other, they both popped the pills into their mouths and swallowed. 

 

What was That Pill For? 

An hour later, Travis felt his head being pulled to the right, gently at first, but soon it got to where he couldn’t fight it. His head was stuck turned all the way to the right. Then his back muscles stiffened. 

 

They didn’t know what to do, so the room mate took Travis to the ER. The doctor got a book with pictures of pills and they found the ones they’d closely examined just hours before. The doctor then knew of an antidote to give. 

 

After the shot Travis’ muscles began to relax and he could turn his head again, but then an hour later, it came back. They again went to the ER, the doctor scolded them and gave him another shot. They went home and it happened again – only this time to the room mate, and Travis had to bring him to the ER. 

 

These men are lucky they’re alive. Don’t take stray medicines.

 

Filed Under: Addiction, Medication

An Overview Of Health Medicine

Health Medicine is a combination of traditional healing practices and the advanced technologies of modern medicine. Through education, research, and clinical practice, doctors and practitioners use this type of integrative medicine during the healing process. Practitioners of Health Medicine provide acute care treatments, and guide their patients through each stage of healing. They also promote preventive maintenance and self-care. The objective of health medicine is the care and well-being of mind, body, and spirit. Physicists supply education and resource information for their patients to help them choose the best services.

There are many different treatment categories found in health medicine. Some widely used Health Medicine services include Photonic Stimulation (healing with photons), Mercury Toxicity, Pain Management, Breast Thermography (thermal imaging), and Integrative Sports Medicine. Each of these Health Medicine services provide advanced therapy treatments for their patients during the stages of progressive healing. Health Medicine is used to help patients manage a wide range of healthcare problems without using pharmaceutical medications. This type of treatment is often selected by those who prefer not to use over-the-counter or pharmaceutical medications. Health Medicine is an application comprehensive therapy treatments that is used for pain management, maintanence and prvention.

If you are looking for resource information on health medicine before you select a physician or practitioner make sure they have been board-certified. These doctors have been especially trained in acute care treatment and integrative medicine for pain management. Before you select a physician for this type of treatment visit their office or website to get feedback from current or former patients. When you visit their office somethings you want to check is overall cleanliness and how the patients are being treated. You should visit as many medical facilities as you can to find a board-certified physician who can provide the services you need at an affordable price.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With:

Finding Ways To Pay For Expensive Medication

Walking into a pharmacy with a new prescription can be a scary prospect. The ultimate cost of the prescription is always a prevalent question. The costs can run very high if the drug is a new formulation or there is no available generic product. Furthermore, insurance may refuse to pay or pay only a partial amount for the prescription. There are alternatives to obtaining the drug at a reduced cost. It should be noted that there may be restrictions and requirements associated with these type of programs.

The first recourse is to talk to the doctor. Explain the costs and see if there is a cheaper option. Many doctors will change the prescription to a cheaper drug that still treats the same condition. It helps to have a list of prescription medications that are covered by insurance for the doctor to consult.

Many pharmacies have their own particular drug program that offers a percentage off prescriptions. Joining these programs can easily be done at the pharmacy counter. The conditions of the program vary. If a prescription drug is still out of reach, consult with the Pharmacist who can contact your doctor for a cheaper type of drug.

If you simply must have the drug, contact the manufacturer directly to see if you qualify for one of their programs. The company qualifications usually are dependent on income requirements.

The other option is to check Canadian pharmacies. Be certain to check if they are certified by the United States to ship that particular prescription. Also, make certain to check their credentials prior to making any type of purchase.

If all else fails, appeal to the local community to get assistance. Many churches and non-profit organizations can provide some relief in helping you pay for the prescription. The high price of prescriptions does not have to bust the budget.

Filed Under: Health, Medication, Treatment Tagged With:

Different Types Of Pharmaceutical Drugs And Medications

The term pharmaceutical refers to over-the-counter or prescription medications that are made from chemical or natural substances. Pharmaceutical medications are used in the diagnosis, cure, and treatment of acute pain and chronic illness. Pharmaceutical medicines are also used for health maintenance and disease prevention. This type of medication is used to treat a wide range of medical disorders. Some common health problems that are treated with pharmaceutical medications include analgesic drugs for pain, medications for the upper and lower digestive tract, psychiatric medication, and pharmaceutical medicines that are used to treat respiratory disorders.

Pharmaceutical drugs and medications has been successful in the treatment of physical and mental disorders, depression, tumors, and tuberculosis. Pharmaceutical drugs and medications are used to treat complex health problems such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart attack. They are also prescribed for nonthreatening health conditions such as fever, headache, nausea, coughs, and the common cold. The two kinds of pharmaceutical drugs and medications are prescription only medication (POM), and over-the-counter medication (OTC). Prescription only medications can only be obtained with a written prescription buy a licensed medical doctor. Over-the-counter drugs are available without a prescription and can be purchased from local grocery and drug stores.

To treat and prevent disease in animals and pets, veterinarians also use pharmaceutical drugs and medications. Pet medicines and drugs are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine, or CVM. Pharmaceutical drugs and medications for animals are subjected to approval standards that are similar to the Food and Drug Administration standards for human medications. The price of pharmaceutical drugs and medications for pets can be as much or more than the cost of medicine for people. Most pet medications and pharmaceutical drugs are covered by pet insurance. Always compare rates and benefits before making a selection for pet insurance.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With: ,

The Reasons To Safely Dispose Of Your Prescription Medications

No longer is it wise to throw away or flush old prescription drugs away. Fortunately, there are now safe ways to dispose of your prescription drugs. The main reason for safely disposing of your prescription medications is to protect the health of individuals that do not need the exposure to these potent prescription formulations. It is very common for prescription drugs to be found in the water supply, land in the wrong hands, or seep into the food supply.

Flushing prescriptions down the toilet puts the medication into the water supply. The water from flushing dissolves these tablets and the medication makes its way directly into the process that recycles waste water. There are no filters for taking out harmful prescription drugs because they are completely dissolved by the time it makes it to the waste water recycle system. Recent tests have shown significant amounts of prescription drugs are in the water supply.

The reason they should not be thrown away is that kids can gain access to your old prescription drugs. Teens often experiment by taking different types of prescription drugs in a vain attempt to gain a high. Some of these experiments are highly dangerous and can lead to death or hospitalization with long term affects. Just throwing them in the trash gives kids easy access to potent prescription drugs. Even if they do not wind up in the hands of kids, they wind up in the landfill.

Prescription drugs that wind up in landfills will seep into the food and water supply. There is no safety feature to prevent this from happening. As soon as it rains or comes into contact with liquid, the pills dissolve and release their potency. The landfills provide food for some animals and it eventually winds up into our food supply. The only prevention is to safely dispose of your prescription drugs.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With:

Preventing Prescription Drug Interactions

Prescriptions drugs often come with a long list of side effects. However, one of the more ignored sections is the potential interactions with other prescription drugs. While the warnings are there, they may get lost within the maze of keeping track of which drug takes care of which problem. The process is further complicated by the use of multiple pharmacies and multiple doctors.

Prescription drugs can also interact negatively with herbal medications and some types of foods. Ignoring these interactions will either render the prescription drug ineffective or produce a chemical interaction that will make you sicker or causes death. To prevent this from happening, you need to start by making a list of all the drugs you take and all of the herbal supplements that you have added to your diet.

Start by taking this list to your doctors. Take the list every time you see a new doctor. It is important to update your list to include any new changes in the prescription. Discuss your prescriptions and all of your herbal supplements with every single one of your doctors. Don’t just assume that because another doctor prescribed it, that the current doctor will know it has been prescribed.

In addition, take your list with you to the pharmacy. Discuss with the pharmacist, the different types of drugs and supplements you are taking. Find out what you should talk to your doctor about and what types of drugs should be changed. It helps if you transfer all your prescriptions to one pharmacy. Often the computer systems will automatically flag when there is a possible drug interaction.

Before starting any new type of herbal medication or adding in another prescription, double check with your doctor to make certain that it can be safely added to your routine. Finally, discuss with your doctor any type of restrictions that adding a new drug may place on your particular diet.

Filed Under: General, Medication Tagged With: ,

The Constitutionality Of The Federal Mandate In The Health Care Bill

The argument over health care has heated both sides. However, both sides have drawn blood in the first battles. In what is turning out to be a clear bipartisan fight, the lines have been clearly established. It is up to the Supreme Court to be the deciding factor on this which centers around whether the government can mandate a person to buy health insurance.

The first question of Constitutionality comes from the 14th Amendment, otherwise known as “The Commerce Clause.” The argument centers around the question of whether the Federal government can force an individual to buy a product or to fine them if they do not. Many people compare this type of insurance to car insurance. However, it should be pointed out there are huge flaws in this argument. One of the biggest is that the States are the regulators and enforcers of the mandate for car insurance.

The second question of Constitutionality comes from the States Rights versus the Federal Rights definition within the Constitution. The argument here is that the Federal government is placing an undue burden on States by requiring them to expand many of their programs without sufficient funding from the Federal government to support the expansion. The main problem is that many States are running in the red and the social programs are one of the biggest drains on State budgets.

Of course, the question of Constitutionality isn’t the only problems starting to surface from this huge bill. There is always the question of how to pay for it. Then there is the question of whether this plan will actually work to lower costs for everyone. Many point out that this plan makes exemptions to certain groups. Finally, the question of expanding the IRS into a bigger entity provokes an uncertainty in many people.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With: ,

Organizing Your Prescription Medication

Especially when you are older, the amount of prescription drugs your doctor prescribes shoots up dramatically. Keeping track of your prescriptions can become a task all on its own. You have to remember to take them at the right time to maintain a continuous and constant stream in your system. This is key to preventing the problems that come with the ups and downs of forgetting your medication and then trying to play catch-up.

There are several ways to provide organization to your prescription medications. One of the ways is to use a container that can be filled with the medication. The containers are available in daily or weekly form and depending on the design can provide enough places for morning, afternoon, and nightly doses. This keeps your prescriptions in one place.

In addition, a clock with a preset alarm can serve as a reminder for when to take medication. Set the alarm to go off every four, six, or eight hours depending on your particular needs. The clock will beep when it hits the correct time. The watch can be worn around the wrist, neck or where ever it is accessible for the user and within hearing range. It is crucial to be able to hear your alarm. Some devices can also vibrate as a more silent reminder in social situations.

Both devices together can put yourself on a regular medication schedule. The container dictates the day while the alarm signals the exact time. You should experiment with different organization methods to find one that works with your individual situation. Your doctor or pharmacist can make some suggestions on additional organization methods. Finally, do not be afraid to ask for help from the caregiver or your family when organizing your prescription medication. More often than not, they will be happy to help you.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With:

Choosing Generic Over Brand Name Prescription Drugs

There are many reasons to choose a generic brand over a name brand prescription. The number one reason for the choice is the price. As a rule, the generic brand is cheaper than the name brand. This is seen abundantly at many grocery stores where the generic brand contains a smaller price tag. But beyond the price consideration, there are a few other reasons on why you should choose a generic brand over the brand name.

One of these reasons is the wide availability of the generic brand. The generic is a lot cheaper to keep in stock for pharmacies. Therefore, a pharmacy will likely have the drug in stock inside of having to wait for a special order.

Another reason is that the insurance company will favor a generic brand. The generic co-pay is less than the brand name copay. It also means that the insurance company does not have to pay out as much to make up the price difference between co-pay and price of the prescription.

The generic has the same basic formulation as the brand name. This means that the costs of testing and research do not have to be recouped by the pricing. The basic work has already been done. This means that the generic drugs have the advantage when it comes to competition.

With the same basic active formulation, generic drugs generally work the same when it comes to treating the problem. Many generic drugs have been tested over time and proven to be worth their cost.

However, the price is still the most important reason when it comes to prescriptions. With the health care prices skyrocketing, choosing a generic brand is one of the few cost cutting measures a person can take regarding to their health care. The savings between brand and generic can be substantial.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With:

How To Get Brand Name Prescriptions When A Generic Is Available

Some people have always preferred brand name over generic offerings. Others recognize the subtle differences in fillers. But no matter the explanation or reasoning, the Brand name is more often the more preferred option. While it is a far more expensive option, there are still individuals who are willing to shell out their dollars to avoid the generic alternative. In that quest, there are two basic ways to get brand names prescriptions when a generic is available.

The first way is to get the doctor to list it as “medically necessary.” This gives the Pharmacist no alternative but to use the brand name listed on the prescription. These words acknowledge the differences in the fillers used. This is usually done if the doctor believes there may be an allergy to the fillers used in the generic brand or if the doctor believes the generic will not work as well as the brand.

The second way is to ask the Pharmacist to fill it with the brand name. It should be noted that this request can come with some consequences from the insurance company. Those consequences include either paying a higher co-pay or a refusal to pay. The desire of the brand name should be weighted with the consideration of the higher cost and the fact insurance may only cover the generic brand.

A brand name prescription drug is sometimes the only one people will take. Even though there may be the options available, the choice does ultimately reside upon the person. While the cheaper option is always the generic brand, the brand name is still the one people, even doctors, easily recognize. After all, the doctors write down the brand names more often than the generics. Generic drugs often come with hard to spell and unpronounceable names. Sometimes, the brand name is simply easier to spell.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With:
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