Prescription Drugs Archives - The NeedyMeds Blog

A folder labeled "Antibiotic Resistance" with a pen and stethoscope on it, adjacent to red and white pills spilling out of an orange pill bottle.

June 17, 2022

Antibiotic Resistance – Dangerous and Expensive

Antibiotic resistance is a problem most healthcare providers are aware of, but many patients are not. While I learned about MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) in medical school over 40 years ago, as a pediatrician antibiotic resistance was most evident when my patients returned with persistent ear infections. In retrospect, it was more complicated than I knew at the time. While some of the resistant ear infections appeared to respond to a different antibiotic — many of which were likely caused by bacteria resistant to the initial antibiotic chosen — others did not. It is now known that a lot of those ear infections did not respond because they were viral and would have resolved without antibiotics. The same is true of many pneumonias, sore throats, and sinus infections — especially in children. What was standard care at the time inadvertently contributed to the problem.

Inappropriate use of antibiotics such as treating known viral infections

January 12, 2022

Medication Adherence, Medicine Safety, Prescription Drugs

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Thank a Pharmacist for Keeping Your Community Healthy

National Pharmacist Day, celebrated annually on January 12, honors pharmacists across different specialties and in every setting by recognizing the impact they have in healthcare. There were approximately 316,500 pharmacists in the United States as of the most recent census, many of whom have been vital to the public’s health and wellbeing — long before the ongoing pandemic.

Pharmacists are a vital part of healthcare teams and often rank among the most trusted professions, with survey respondents rating the honesty and ethical standards of pharmacists as “high” or “very high.” Pharmacists not only check and dispense medications for patients; they also offer advice on medicine dosage, side effects, and possible interactions between different prescriptions. They know about drug therapy effectiveness and can provide information about medical devices patients use at home. Through managing complex drug regimens, counseling to ensure patients remain adherent, helping navigate insurance and cost concerns, and much more, pharmacists have an irreplaceable role in everyone’s healthcare.

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October 21, 2021

Health, Medication Adherence, Social Media and Healthcare

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Health Literacy and Education in Time of COVID

Health literacy is defined as the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Being able to disseminate health information allows people to navigate the healthcare system, keep track of their medical history, competently engage in self-care, and understand the probability of health risks.

Health literacy is the main form of defense against the growing misinformation prevalent in our society. Knowledge of the facts is key to combat the influence of those who would fly in the face of medical and scientific studies on subjects such as vaccinations or family planning services. Dangerous pseudoscience can be avoided, saving individuals money and suffering at the hands of those who either don’t know or don’t care. Despite this, only 12% of adults have “Proficient” health literacy. This means nearly nine out of ten American adults may lack the knowledge necessary

October 1, 2021

BeMedWise, Medication Adherence, Prescription Drugs

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Talk About Your Medicines To Make Sense of Your Meds

October has been observed as Talk About Your Medicines Month (TAYMM) for over 35 years. Started by the BeMedWise Program at NeedyMeds, the awareness month is an annual opportunity to spotlight safe medicine use with the goal of improved health outcomes. This year’s theme is Understanding Medicine Labels – Making sense of your meds. Confusion about when and how much of a medicine can take can make treatments less effective, cause serious side effects or drug interactions, and negatively affect adherence. Our goal is to empower patients to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks of the medications they are taking, and provide the tools they need to talk about their medicines.

When you are prescribed a drug, it’s important to carefully read the label and any other material given by the doctor or pharmacist to understand it to ensure your safety. All prescription medicine

September 13, 2021

NeedyMeds, Prescription Drugs

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All About Patient Assistance Programs

NeedyMeds was started in 1997 when a family physician and a medical social worker realized there were dozens of pharmaceutical patient assistance programs available, providing medications to those in need at low- or no-cost, but no centralized resource for the information. We became that resource, using the relatively new (at the time) Internet as the perfect medium for the constantly changing information. Despite growing significantly since our inception, we still have an expanding database of Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) to help those unable to cover the costs of prescriptions.

Patient assistance programs are typically funded by pharmaceutical companies to help uninsured and underinsured patients get their medication for free or low-cost. There are no regulations or laws dictating that pharmaceutical companies must provide PAPs, so the eligibility requirements often vary from program to program. Most require personal information (full name, address, date of birth, social security number), information from your doctor, and a valid prescription. Some PAPs require information on insurance

Category: Prescription Drugs

Antibiotic Resistance – Dangerous and Expensive

Thank a Pharmacist for Keeping Your Community Healthy

Talk About Your Medicines To Make Sense of Your Meds

All About Patient Assistance Programs

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