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......
Read MoreFiled Under: medications, opioid, too many pills
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...
Read MoreFiled Under: elder care, health coach, Health Management, healthcare coach, healthcare quality, Insider, medications, overmedication, polypharmacy, too many pills
Jul 19, 2019
Drug wastage is defined as the portion of a medication bottle, syringe, or vial that is not given to a patient. Drug wastage has been found to contribute at least an additional two percent cost to total spending across all pharmaceutical lines. There are effects not only on patients due to the cost, but also to insurance companies, hospitals and other healthcare centers, and the patient’s or insured’s employers, especially when it is a smaller company. Nursing Home Drug Waste It should come as no surprise that nursing home residents consume a large amount of prescription drugs. It has been shown that 25%...
Read MoreFiled Under: elder care, healthcare quality, medications, overmedication, polypharmacy, preventive healthcare, too many pills
Apr 30, 2019
Opioid Overmedication and DeathsChronic pain is one of the most difficult issues a person can face. Diagnosis with long-term symptoms and side effects such as cancer or degenerative disc disease often lead to increased pain levels over time. This pain can become unbearable either due to intensity or endurance and a person will often look for some type of relief in the form of pain medication. While the dangers of additions are widely known, there is still the possibility for someone to become dependent upon or abuse these medications, particularly those in the opioid family. Because the statistics for overdose...
Read MoreFiled Under: elder care, medications, opioid, overmedication, polypharmacy, too many pills
Apr 16, 2019
Overmedication is a major problem for patients of all ages, but especially for the elderly. Due to the increasing number of medical issues that occur as bodies age, it is natural that more medications are prescribed to to combat the effects of growing older. Most elderly patients take at least 1 prescription, and many take 5 or more. This is can be not only financially draining, but also medically dangerous. However, there are ways to prevent overmedication. 1. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions One of the best ways to keep yourself or your loved one from being overmedicated is...
Read MoreFiled Under: elder care, medications, overmedication, polypharmacy, too many pills