medication

The Cheapest Place to Buy Generic Drugs
Health

The Cheapest Place to Buy Generic Drugs

If you've been buying generic medicine at a major convenience store, you might want to explore other options.
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If you've been buying generic medicine at a major convenience store, you might want to explore other options.

A recent Consumer Reports survey revealed people can pay up to 447 percent or $749 more on generic medicine at the highest-priced pharmacy, compared to the lowest. Costco had the cheapest prices, while CVS, Rite Aid, and Target had the most expensive prices for generic drugs.

The reason why generic drugs are priced so low in Costco is that the discount chain relies on the lower prices to attract customers who will shop for other goods, while stores like CVS and Rite Aid depend on the pharmacy as their main source of income, Stephen W. Schondelmeyer, Ph.D., Pharm.D., a professor of pharmacy economics at the University of Minnesota, tells Consumer Reports.

Read on for the breakdown of the lowest- to highest-priced stores.

Tylenol's 8th Medicine Recall in 2010
News

Tossing Pills: Do Recalls Make Mom Skeptical of Brands?

Toss your Children's Tylenol .
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Toss your Children's Tylenol . . . again. Johnson & Johnson expanded its January recall today. One news report hypothesized that the company's sales were down because consumers (including parents) were wary to purchase goods since this is the company's eighth recall. When your kiddo's items are recalled — be it gear, toys, toiletries, or food — does it make you doubt the brand?

Medications That Sound Alike
healthy living

Drug Test: Match the Medicine With the Ailment

A good friend of mine just had knee surgery, and her doctor prescribed a heavy duty pain medication and a muscle relaxer.
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A good friend of mine just had knee surgery, and her doctor prescribed a heavy duty pain medication and a muscle relaxer. When hurting the other night, she popped a pill and was wondering why she was feeling foggy-headed, but still in pain. Oops — she realized she had taken the wrong medication. It wasn't her fault. Her pills sound and look the same. This is actually a pretty common problem, so take this quiz to test your drug smarts, so you can avoid making a deadly mistake.

Take the Quiz
Household Spoons Aren't Accurate Measurements For Medication
healthy living

Don't Medicate Yourself With Kitchen Spoons

I have traumatic fond memories of my mom running after me with a spoonful of grape Dimetapp.
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I have traumatic fond memories of my mom running after me with a spoonful of grape Dimetapp. It looks like I was right to fear the spoon, because it's not an accurate way to measure medication. When prescribed to take two tablespoons, the average household spoon you use for soup may not be an exact tablespoon. It may be more or less, which means you could be under- or over-medicating yourself. One teaspoon equals five milliliters, and if you take too little, your body won't be reaping the benefits of the medicine. If you take too much, the side effects associated with the medicine can be more severe.

The solution? Use the little measuring cup or dosage spoon that came with the medicine, or pick one up at your pharmacy. Measure liquids at eye level, and note whether the prescription calls for teaspoons or tablespoons. It's a simple way to ensure you're taking the correct amount of medicine.

Can Grapefruit Interfere With Medications?
healthy living

Can Grapefruit Interfere With Medications?

Orange and grapefruit juices are great sources of potassium and vitamin C, but some of you said you shy away from grapefruit — not because you don't love the taste, but because it interferes with the effectiveness of certain medications.
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Orange and grapefruit juices are great sources of potassium and vitamin C, but some of you said you shy away from grapefruit — not because you don't love the taste, but because it interferes with the effectiveness of certain medications. It's true. There are chemical compounds in grapefruit known as furanocoumarins (FCs) that affect the enzymes in the intestines and liver that break down meds.

There's a list of drugs that doctors insist you avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice while taking, because it can cause dangerously high levels of the drug in the blood, which can lead to serious side effects. Pomelos and Seville oranges, a type of bitter orange often used to make marmalade, should also be avoided.

To see a list from the Mayo Clinic of which meds may be affected by grapefruit, keep reading

How-To: Safely Dispose of Prescription Meds
Bathrooms

How-To: Safely Dispose of Prescription Meds

No matter how diligent I am about trying to keep my bathroom shelves clutter-free, they still seem to eventually get overrun by prescription medications that have a pill or two left in the bottom of the bottle.
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No matter how diligent I am about trying to keep my bathroom shelves clutter-free, they still seem to eventually get overrun by prescription medications that have a pill or two left in the bottom of the bottle. It's definitely a no-no to keep prescription medications sitting around your home, especially if they're past their expiration date.

To find out the right and wrong ways to rid your home of this potentially dangerous clutter, check out my tips when you read more

Singulair Linked to Suicide?
healthy living

Singulair Linked to Suicide?

If you take the allergy and asthma medication Singulair (which I do, by the way), you'll want to know that the FDA is investigating its link to depression and suicidal tendencies.
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If you take the allergy and asthma medication Singulair (which I do, by the way), you'll want to know that the FDA is investigating its link to depression and suicidal tendencies. Used by both children and adults, possible side effects can also include tremors and anxiety. It's been reported that at least three people who were taking Singulair have committed suicide.

Neither the FDA nor Merck (the makers of this drug) recommend that you stop taking it, unless you have noticed severe mood changes or other symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

If you want to see a video with more information then read more

Medications That Have Sexual Side Effects
Love and Sex

Medications That Have Sexual Side Effects

Taking medications for everyday issues and symptoms is pretty common.
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Taking medications for everyday issues and symptoms is pretty common. We take pills for pain, for allergies, to prevent pregnancy, to regulate our periods, and when we have a cold. Some of these medications can affect our sex lives though. Want to see which ones? Then read more

Phillips Plans to Produce a Remote-Controlled Pill
medicine

Are Remote-Controlled Pills in Our Future?

Yes they are! Philips, the electronics company, has designed a remote-controlled pill to help solve the problem of faulty time released medications already in use.
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Yes they are!

Philips, the electronics company, has designed a remote-controlled pill to help solve the problem of faulty time released medications already in use. Basically, it will be a little capsule that has a reservoir inside it (see 144 in the diagram) that holds the medicine. You can control a valve in the capsule with an external remote control, so it releases the medicine when you want to. External factors such as a rise in pollen count, or a rise in a patient's blood pressure will also be able to trigger the medicine's release too. What's more? The pills will also be able to hold several kinds of medications, so you only have to take one pill a day.

Phillips plans that the remote-controlled pills will be inexpensive and disposable, so they won't need to be collected and recycled after each use.

Very cool, but is this sounding a lot like a plot from the movie Innerspace to anyone else?

Source

Traveling Overseas: Check with the CDC
healthy living

Traveling Overseas: Check with the CDC

If you are planning a vacation overseas in the upcoming weeks or months, you should really check out the Center for Disease Control Travelers' website.
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If you are planning a vacation overseas in the upcoming weeks or months, you should really check out the Center for Disease Control Travelers' website.

You can look up your country of destination and see what is going on health wise in the region. For example, there have been recent measles and mumps outbreaks in South East Asia. So if you are headed there you'll want to double check that all your vaccinations are in order. The Travelers' site offers a complete schedule of recommended vaccines for your travels, as well as health items you should pack, things like mosquito nets and iodine tablets.

I have found it better to be safe than sorry and that being prepared makes traveling less stressful.

Bon Voyage!