Medicare Moves to More Cuts

It is announced that another 21% cut in reimbursement to health care providers will begin soon according to a report on NPR this morning. What Health Law Didn't Fix: Medicare Doctor Pay

You may wish to look for one of our informative "Healthy Options" classes.  You can book a program for your community too.  We've been teaching these community and corporate wellness programs since 1995.

Other "Healthy Options" can be found here.

Drug Web Sites May Not Be That Helpful

I have to admit that am opposed to drug ads on TV and elsewhere, such as the proliferation of ads that have been sponsoring Prevention magazine since Robert Rodale's death.

To add to the disease and drug mongering I think the ads promote, this article supports the need for more balanced and consistent information.

What most people today seem not to understand is the simple fact that their health care provider is required by law to give drug and side effect information every time a drug is prescribed.

Also helpful is information like we provide in our "Health Detective" and "Health Forensics" programs that includes drug interaction and nutrient depletion.

HANOVER, N.H., July 5 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers describe prescription drug maker Web sites a gray area of discourse and ethics.

Lewis Glinert, professor of linguistics at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., and John Schommer of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis examined Web sites dedicated to the 100 best-selling prescription drugs.

The researchers found consumers were expected to move in a maze of text and navigation choices and that content was unpredictable -- including difficult to discern mixes of information and promotion.

"The Food and Drug Administration has rules about direct-to-consumer print and television drug advertising, so we think it makes sense to also regulate Web sites and other marketing tools when it comes to prescription medicine," Glinert said in a statement.

"Consumers need consistent and balanced information."

The findings were presented at the Communication, Medicine and Ethics Conference at Boston University School of Public Health.

Glinert noted the search engine Google has been working with the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., to improve Internet drug searches -- including adding links to NIH content and risk data.

"Our research provides justification for Google's move," Glinert said. "Only time will tell if this is a major change for the better."

© 2010 United Press International, Inc.

Seniors taking 20 pills a day

In the majority of situations no Rx interaction profiles are undertaken nor are reviews of the nutrient depletion caused by Rx. Also to be considered is a thorough review of side effects and risk of developing other conditions as a result of taking a drug.

Our Health Forensics (c) model covers these concerns as part of the health coaching we have done for 30+ years.

From a Medco Health Solutions survey of seniors 65 and older who take medications. [Note that 20% of insured seniors did not take any medication on a regular basis.]

http://patientadvocate.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/medco-study-on-pills-per-day-for-seniors.png 

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Avoiding Drug Side Effects

"A study linking drug side effects and emergency room admissions found that a large number of Americans -- as many as 700,000 annually -- land in the hospital from taking medications. But the good news is that there are precautions you can take to avoid some of the worst adverse drug events detailed in the study."

In this report, which is helpful to some extent, item number 1 is 

Ask your doctor about side effects.

Yes, you should ask anytime any provider offers you a prescription, but don't forget that it is the provider's responsibility to thoroughly inform you, so that you should not have to ask.

You are also supposed to be told of any drug interaction that may occur from a combination of drugs you may be getting from your provider.

Too often this is ignored, and it places your health at risk.

Item 5 has real value, but my suggestion is to do this at least once every six months, even better to do it quarterly.

If you suspect a side-effect, even if it is one you were not informed of, call your provider and pharmacist immediately.

Health Forensics offers drug nutrient depletion information and interaction review services.