Category: Medicine Safety

Medicine Safety, Prescription Drugs
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Doctors Prescribe Too Many Medications

This blog post originally appeared on Zaggocare.org Medications save lives and make life more bearable for millions of people. No doubt about it. But medications can also cause harm. Logically, the more medications a patient takes, the higher the risk of side effects and dangerous interactions between medications. Did you know many patients take inappropriate or unnecessary medications? Unfortunately, over-prescribing is a widespread, dangerous problem in the US, especially for older patients (categorized as those 65+ years old). Why do doctors prescribe too many medications? What harm does it cause? And what can patients do? An extensive report by the […]

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BeMedWise, Medication Adherence, Medicine Safety, Prescription Drugs
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Poison Prevention & Medication Safety

Poisoning is the number one cause of injury-related death in the U.S.. National Poison Prevention Week,  sponsored by the National Poisoning Prevention Council during the third week in March, promotes poison prevention tips and the free emergency services provided by poison control centers, including the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Text POISON to 797979 to save the number in your smartphone. In the time it takes to read the information above, at least two people will call a poison control center. That’s one person every 14 seconds, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System […]

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Health, Medicine Safety, Safety, Social Media and Healthcare
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Online Health Information: Not Always Doctor-Approved

“Can Parasitic Worms Cure Seasonal Allergies?” “New Study Shows Too Much of This Breakfast Staple Will Literally Kill You” “Here’s Why Sitting is Worse for Your Health than Smoking” You  — or someone you know — is bound to see headlines like these every day. After all, looking up health information remains one of the most popular internet activities. But as the saying goes, you can’t believe everything you read. Kelly McBride, vice president of the Poynter Institute, last year told The Atlantic that “of all the categories of fake news, health news is the worst. There’s more bad health […]

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Medicine Safety, Prescription Drugs, Safety
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America’s Love Affair with the Car – and Medicines – Can Be Deadly  

First, some recent, eye-opening facts: In the US there are over 276 million registered vehicles with 222 million drivers holding a valid license. Of this number, nearly 43 million are 65 or older. That’s roughly one in every five. 40,100 people died in accidents involving motor vehicles in 2017 a 1 percent drop from the year before. Almost a third of traffic fatalities involve drivers who were impaired by drugs or alcohol, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to NHTSA there were 795 fatalities that were drowsy-driving-related in 2017.   Adding Medicines into the […]

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Medicine Safety, Prescription Drugs
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Don’t Risk a Fall – Know Your Medicines

It will come as no surprise to many that the 65+ year old crowd – aging baby boomers and older adults – are taking a lot of over-the counter (OTC) and prescription medicines, along with vitamins, dietary supplements and herbal remedies. As many as 55 million Americans will be older than age 65 by 2020. With the population of older adults soaring in the coming years, the prevalence of patients with chronic disease – who often take numerous prescription medications daily – is likely to increase as well.  Add in those over 65 taking medicines for occasional or chronic pain — […]

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About Us

Welcome to the NeedyMeds Voice! We look forward to presenting you with timely, provocative pieces on healthcare reform, patient advocacy, medication and healthcare access, and other health-related news. Our goals are to educate, enlighten, and elucidate; together, we will try to make sense of the myriad and ongoing healthcare-related changes in the U.S. today.