When your doctor prescribes a new medication, are the dosing and potential side effects thoroughly discussed? For many patients they are not, as a recent study discovered.
There is no single ideal dose of any medication for all patients, because people often respond differently to the same medications. The dose must be tailored to you and your specific medical needs. The goal is to identify the minimum effective dose: one that provides sufficient benefit, with minimum… More...
Recent research indicates that acetaminophen overuse is on the rise and can lead to acute liver failure. What should you do? Johns Hopkins offers advice.
The fact that the average lifespan in the United States continues to inch upward suggests that most people who use medications are better off for the experience. However, it's also obvious from the daily news that even though drugs are tested thoroughly they can have unexpected side effects. … More...
People are discouraged from consuming grapefruits or grapefruit juice while taking certain medications because they can affect the way the medications are metabolized. Now scientists are closer to understanding why this dangerous interaction occurs.
Certain foods and drinks don't mix well with certain medications. For example, grapefruits or grapefruit juice may interact badly with a number of medications, because natural grapefruit contains a substance that affects the activity of an enzyme in the intestines and liver… More...
Have you ever been given a placebo? In a recent study, the AMA Ethics Board concludes that secret placebo treatment is improper.
The American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) has decided that it is unethical for doctors to offer placebo therapy without patient consent. To be incorporated into the AMA's Code of Medical Ethics, the AMA House of Delegates, the organization's national policy-making body, must vote in favor of the ruling.… More...
Generic drugs can save the consumer a lot of money. But some pharmaceutical manufacturers work aggressively to keep their market for a drug that goes off patent, limiting the availability of the generic brand. Here's an example.
The term 'generic drug' usually refers to a drug that has come off patent and is manufactured by one or more generic-drug companies in addition to the company that originally held the patent. Most generic drugs reach the market… More...
Someday, shingles may be obsolete, but for now there’s a vaccine – if you’re lucky enough to get it from your doctor. The shingles vaccine was approved in 2006, but you may have found that it’s not offered at your doctor’s office. This isn’t unusual. Many doctors’ offices and insurance providers handle the shingles vaccine, called Zostavax, like a prescription drug. For instance, Medicare covers Zostavax under Part D, its prescription drug plan, whereas other adult… More...
Do drug ads help patients or harm them? Critics of drug ads assert that the ads foster artificial demand for brand-name drugs, drive up the cost of health care, potentially expose people to side effects from unproven drugs, and complicate the doctor-patient relationship.
If you are an American adult who has read a magazine or watched television in the past decade, chances are you have seen many direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertisements. Commonly these ads identify… More...
The average medical news report on local TV stations lasts for only 33 seconds, which means that reporters have very little time to explain the details of a study, let alone discuss which of their listeners it might actually affect. More...
Health insurance companies love generic drugs, because they cost less money than branded versions – but are generic drugs right for you? Are generic drugs safe? The short answer is yes, because in the United States, manufacturers must prove to the FDA that the generic version of a drug has the same active ingredient as the original, branded version and that it is absorbed into the body approximately as well (with no more than a 20%… More...
When do you really need an antibiotic for a respiratory illness? Probably not very often. However, some doctors still prescribe antibiotics inappropriately despite the risks, in large part because patients expect them.
The common cold, sore throats, sinus infections, coughs, and bronchitis -- these acute respiratory infections (ARIs) send more people to the doctor than any other kind of illness. About 75% of the time, people go home with a prescription for an antibiotic— -- whether… More...
Do you know your pharmacist’s name? If you don’t, that’s one of several questions you might want to ask. A survey commissioned by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) found that people who know their pharmacists by name also tend to keep their pharmacists up to date on all the medications they take, read the labeling information on their prescriptions, know the active ingredients of their medications, and more often ask their pharmacists questions about their medications.
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Drug Safety Report #1: Bayer Failed To Disclose Dangers of Anti-Bleeding Drug
On February 8, 2006, the FDA issued a public health advisory about Trasylol (aprotinin), a drug used to reduce bleeding during heart surgery. Only days earlier, a finding had been reported in The New England Journal of Medicine that Trasylol significantly increased the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure, whereas two older and much less expensive generic anti-bleeding drugs… More...
Survival comes dear for cancer patients who need some new anticancer drugs.
In some cases, paying for cancer treatment can be an issue in itself. This is especially true when cancer treatment continues for an extended time and involves chemotherapy. Among cancer survivors younger than 65, one in five delay getting necessary cancer treatment or avoid it entirely just because of the cost, according to a 2006 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and… More...
On Warfarin and Herbal Supplements -- If you use warfarin, you already know the rules for dealing with food and drug interactions: Don’t start or stop taking any other medications without telling your doctor, keep the amount of vitamin-K-rich foods that you eat consistent, and carry a medical ID card or bracelet to inform emergency personnel that you’re taking warfarin. … More...
Should you switch to a generic version of Zocor or another prescription medication? Read this … then decide. Typically, a generic drug is much less expensive than its brand-name counterpart, and opting for it can make economic sense for both you… More...
Johns Hopkins Prescription Drugs Health Alert on medication mistakes, the AmpliChip, and St. John’s Wort and how it interacts with Gleevec, used for treating leukemia< More...
Johns Hopkins doctors explain age-related physiological changes that can affect the way our bodies react to medications. If you’re over 50, chances are you’re taking more medications and in greater quantities than you ever did in previous decades. Indeed, people between the ages of 55 and 64 are given an average of eight different prescription medications during the course of a year. And those over age 70 take an average of 6.5 medications per day. More...
Prescription Medication Question 1 -- Are medications that have passed their expiration dates good to use, or should they be discarded?
Think of expiration dates -- which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires be placed on most prescription and over-the-counter medications -- as a very conservative guide to longevity. The expiration date is a guarantee from the manufacturer that a medication will remain chemically stable—and thus maintain its full potency and safety --… More...
Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., Director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, talks about the common problem of medication-related weight gain.
Most people put on weight as they get older, often because their eating habits change and they become less active. But there can be another, hidden reason for weight gain: taking certain prescription medications. “Medication-related weight gain has become far more important over the past decade as obesity increases in prevalence and more people are taking… More...
2008 Prescription Drugs White Paper Used inappropriately, prescription medicines may not help very much and can even cause harm. Understanding how prescription medicines are created, tested, marketed, and dispensed is important in order to maximize their benefits and minimize their risks. This White Paper will help you to be a more informed consumer of prescription drugs. It cannot tell you which medications are best for you; your doctor and/or pharmacist will offer guidance in using your own prescription drugs safely, cost-effectively, and to your greatest benefit. What you learn from this document will help you to ask the right questions and have a better understanding of the answers. Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION Read more or order the PRINT EDITION
The Johns Hopkins Consumer Guide to Drugs Contains drug profiles on more than 750 medications–both prescription and over-the-counter, most commonly used by people over 50, all presented in our unique page-at-a-glance format, designed with you in mind, the busy person who wants the most reliable health information available at your fingertips. Your guide also includes an invaluable overview of dietary supplements and how they can interact with certain medications, the dangers of taking your pills with grapefruit juice, and more. Because you owe it to yourself to know everything you can about the medicines you take.Read more...
The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 A comprehensive home medical encyclopedia that gives you a “crash course” on more than 100 major medical concerns of men and women over 50! Organized in an easy-to-use A to Z format, the Medical Guide provides in-depth explanations of the many chronic health problems associated with aging – high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, memory loss, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gallstones, to name but a few.Read more or order...
Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies This easy-to-use reference book can help you pinpoint the causes of hundreds of disorders, from abdominal pain to skin rash to swollen glands. The book is divided into two distinct sections: symptoms, which includes charts covering a wide range of common symptoms and possible diagnoses, and disorders, which discusses the disorder, its causes, prevention advice, treatment strategies, and other crucial information so you will be able to either treat yourself at home, or know when it's time to call a doctor. Read more or order...
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Has your pharmacy given you the right medication?
Are there alternate drugs for your condition that might have fewer side effects?
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This fully illustrated guide contains drug profiles on more than 750 medications—both prescription and over-the-counter, mostly commonly prescribed for the over 50 population. It also includes a guide to dietary supplements.
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