Drug Interactions (March 25, 2014)
In the good old days when people took far fewer medications than they do now and filled their prescriptions at the neighborhood pharmacy, the pharmacist would know of any risks or unexpected interactions. Now with nearly three-quarters of us taking a prescription at any one time, and obtaining multiple medications from more than one source, no one knows everything you are taking – except you.
So you should stay aware of any risks associated with what you are taking -- drug interactions, manufacturer alerts, etc. And, it just so happens that there are a number of websites where you can open a (free) account and enter your prescriptions and OTC medications, individual herbs and nutritional supplements, and even some foods! and it will tell you all that. Ain’t technology grand?
Adverse drug reactions are our fourth leading cause of death. It's worth paying a little extra attention to what you're taking. Here is one website that doesn’t make you open an account or give up any personal information -- http://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker.
--dr. diane holmes
Copyright © 2014
In the good old days when people took far fewer medications than they do now and filled their prescriptions at the neighborhood pharmacy, the pharmacist would know of any risks or unexpected interactions. Now with nearly three-quarters of us taking a prescription at any one time, and obtaining multiple medications from more than one source, no one knows everything you are taking – except you.
So you should stay aware of any risks associated with what you are taking -- drug interactions, manufacturer alerts, etc. And, it just so happens that there are a number of websites where you can open a (free) account and enter your prescriptions and OTC medications, individual herbs and nutritional supplements, and even some foods! and it will tell you all that. Ain’t technology grand?
Adverse drug reactions are our fourth leading cause of death. It's worth paying a little extra attention to what you're taking. Here is one website that doesn’t make you open an account or give up any personal information -- http://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker.
--dr. diane holmes
Copyright © 2014