Curus Blog

The Cost of Living with Chronic Illness

Sep 26, 2019

The advances of medical science have been nothing short of remarkable over the last few decades. Illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes have become chronic illnesses. Proper ongoing medication and regular physician interaction have resulted in longer and healthier lives. Yet, the emotional and psychological costs of living with these disease states are just beginning to be understood in healthcare. As the grandfather of two type-I diabetics, I have watched first-hand how the disease is an ever present factor in their lives - 7/24/365. There is no escaping the constant reminder that their lives differ from that of...

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Filed Under: cancer drugs cost, changes in healthcare, high-cost drugs, Insider, medical access

Guidelines for Disposal of Medications

Sep 5, 2019

This summer, a police department in Tennessee made news after a hyperbolic Facebook post about "Meth Gators" went viral. The joke was intended to create awareness to a growing problem of drugs and medications ending up the in the local water source that affect wildlife and may not be able to be completely filtered out of city water systems.  While the fabled Meth Gator is just a rural myth, disposing of unused drugs the appropriate way is a real concern. Improper disposal can cause harm to others. Here are some guidelines to follow if you have unused drugs you need to throw away......

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Filed Under: medications, opioid, too many pills

The Cost of Overmedication

Aug 29, 2019

Pharmacy costs keep going up. If you are one of the millions of people taking prescription medication regularly, you know this well. In fact, a study by The National Health Expenditure Accounts Team found that in 2016 a staggering amount near $329 billion was spent on prescription drugs in the U.S. alone.  That number is growing year after year. There are many reasons why this amount is so high, but one simple reason seems to glare at us above the others -  overmedication. The Epidemic of Overmedication It is a known fact that the elderly are especially at risk of overmedication . Many...

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Filed Under: elder care, health coach, Health Management, healthcare coach, healthcare quality, Insider, medications, overmedication, polypharmacy, too many pills

Mental Health Disease – the Silent Illness

Aug 28, 2019

My first contact with a tangible mental illness and its implications occurred as a young lawyer trying a murder case in which my client, assigned to me by the court, was accused of murdering his wife. In the normal course, I sought a mental health evaluation of my client. I called one of the most prominent forensic psychiatrists in Detroit and asked him if he would evaluate this individual to determine if he could stand trial or if there was a mental health defense to his criminal actions. The psychiatrist visited the individual at the county jail and conducted an...

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Filed Under: changes in healthcare, Health Management, healthcare quality, Mental Health, mental status affects health