What the heck is going on with doctors in some parts of the country who prescribe risky drugs for older adults? According to an analysis of more than 6 million seniors on Medicare Advantage, more than 20 percent are prescribed at least one high-risk medication. The problem is most common in the South, among women, and in relatively poor areas, report public health researchers with Brown University. Risky medications are ones that health authorities have specifically recommended against prescribing to …
Despite all our medical advancements, let’s face it: a lot of pills look alike. To make matters worse, sometimes pharmacists make mistakes and dispense the wrong prescription, which can have devastating consequences. Since taking the wrong dose of the wrong medication could be disastrous, it’s important to make sure you know, for sure, which pill you’re taking.
Once upon a time, we trusted that our doctors knew our all of our medications, and how they interacted. But now, trooping off to the cardiologist one day, and the gastroenterologist the next, with a side of psychiatrist? And what happens if, say, you forget to mention all the drugs you’re taking to each doc, and even if you do, do they know how all the drugs you’re taking interact?
A new CDC study reveals that nearly 3 in 10 Americans has shared prescriptions with someone else.
Insurance companies can buy people’s prescription history and use this information to deny coverage to applicants.