Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1418713
OCTOBER 13-19, 2021 UCW 49 Best of Fayetteville 4901 Morganton Rd. - NEXT TO CROSS CREEK MALL Monday thru Friday, 10 to 9 Saturday, 10 to 7 Closed Every Sunday vwww.bullardfurniture.com ank You For Making Your #1 Furniture Store! 864-5533 Again! 2021 Patients can take everyday steps to avoid drug interactions a STAFF REPORT Hundreds of millions of people across the globe rely on medica- tions for their survival. In fact, the percentage of people using prescription medications may surprise people who work out- side the health care industry. According to the National Cen- ter for Health Statistics' National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-16, nearly 46% of the population of the United States used prescription drugs in 2015-16. e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that prescrip- tion drug use is similar in Canada, where the Canadian Health Mea- sures Survey found that roughly two-thirds of adults between the ages of 40 and 79 used at least one prescription drug in a 30-day period. Prescription drugs may be vital to many people's survival, but they also can prove deadly if misman- aged. at's especially true for peo- ple taking more than one medica- tion. Taking multiple medications each day may be necessary, but it's equally necessary that people taking more than one medication every day take steps to avoid drug interactions. Discuss all medications with each of your doctors. Primary care physicians and specialists should be kept in the loop regarding which medications their patients are taking. Patients should never assume their doctors know every medica- tion they're taking. When pre- scribed a new medication, mention to your prescribing doctor what else you are taking. Include prescription medica- tions but also over-the-counter, or OTC, drugs, supplements and even vitamins. Use a notes app on your smart- phone to create a running list of your medications so you can access it during doctor's appointments. Read all labels. Prescription drugs and OTC medications list potential side effects in different ways. Each prescription medication comes with a lengthy list of poten- tial side effects, while OTC labels cite potential side effects in the "Warnings" section on their labels. Familiarize yourself with all potential side effects of a given medication prior to taking it. Err on the side of caution and wait to speak with your physician before taking an OTC medication you're unfamiliar with. Order all prescriptions from the same pharmacy. Ordering all prescriptions from the same phar- macy makes it easy to access all prescriptions. Pharmacists can look up all pre- scriptions and crosscheck interac- tions that may result from taking certain medications at the same time. is safety net can be useful and convenient. Use online resources. e Drug Interactions checker at www.drugs. com/drug_interactions.html is a convenient way to learn about the potential interactions that can result when taking more than one medication or even mixing it with certain foods or beverages. Drug interactions can be deadly, which only underscores the importance of being careful when taking more than one medication at a time. HEALTH