More and more people rely upon the daily use of prescription medications. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it is estimated that in the United States alone, almost half of all people are taking at least one prescription medication while 1 in 6 people are taking three or more medications (Source: CDC 2004 Press Release).

There is no question that when used and dispensed properly, prescription drugs do improve health and save lives. However, the unfortunate fact remains that along with the good prescription drugs provide, there is always the risk of a medication error occurring when the drug is dispensed and taken. In fact, medication errors occur all too frequently, sometimes with deadly results.

Medication safety begins with you. Here are some steps you can follow to help your family avoid medication errors:

1. Always make sure your doctor’s office and your pharmacy know all of the prescription medications, herbal supplements, vitamins and over-the-counter medications your family member is taking and any known allergies they may have. This can help prevent dangerous drug interactions, allergic reactions, or overdoses. Keep a current list of all the medications your family members take and make sure you update it when something changes. This medication list should include information such as the name of medication taken, the strength, form (pill, liquid, etc.), how often taken, and when the medication was started.
2. Have all your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy. Pharmacies have computer programs that can check for harmful drug interactions between different medicines being taken at the same time as well as possible allergic reactions. However, in order for this to work, the pharmacy needs to know all medications, vitamins, and supplements you or your family members are taking as well as any known allergies. Having all your prescriptions filled at one pharmacy also allows your medical providers to access all your medication information from one source. This can save valuable time and confusion.
3. If possible, get your new prescriptions in writing to take to the pharmacy to be filled. Mistakes can happen when prescriptions are called in by phone — remember playing "the telephone game" as a child? One child will whisper to another child who will repeat the same thing to another child and so on until the last child says out loud what he or she heard. Remember how the end story never matched the beginning one? Unfortunately, this can happen with prescriptions too. Written prescriptions eliminate errors due to communication problems over the telephone.
4. Make sure you know from your doctor’s office the following information about the drug being given: name, strength, directions for taking/using it, number/amount given, and why the drug is being given. You may need your doctor or someone from his/her office to write this information down for you on a separate sheet of paper. (Never write on, or alter, a prescription you are given from your doctor.) Knowing this information can help you double check that you did receive the right medication from your pharmacy. This step acts as a double check that your written prescription was filled as your doctor intended. It is especially important to understand as much information about a new medication before you leave your doctor’s office. Additional prescription medication information can also be found in reference books available at your local library or bookstore (pill books, PDR), or at on-line sites like www.safemedication.com.
5. If you are simply refilling a prescription, be sure the refilled drug matches the drug your family member has been taking. If they do not match exactly, then you need find out why. If you are used to receiving little orange tablets and instead you have been given larger white tablets, you need to find out what is going on. You may have been given a different company’s drug or you may have been given the wrong drug. Do not have your family member take any questionable refill medications until you can check with your pharmacist to make sure you have the right medication. If the medication is different, check with your doctor to see if your family member is supposed to take a different medication.
6. If you are filling a prescription for a child, an elderly person or someone who is extremely overweight or underweight, make sure the doctor and pharmacist know the age and weight of the patient. Medication amounts are often based upon the weight of the patient especially for children. Also, some medications are not given to children until they reach certain ages. Similarly, some medications should be avoided for senior citizens.
7. Have your family member take all medications as instructed (right number of doses, avoid certain foods, etc.) and keep a list of any problems they experience while on a medication. Problems should be shared with your doctor’s office. They can help you decide how serious the problem is and if adjustments to your medication are needed.
8. Making sure you get the right medications in a hospital or nursing home is much harder to do since you do not see original packaging and you may be receiving some medication through an I.V. (receiving drugs through a vein). In addition, you may be sleeping or not feeling well when the medication is given. In these cases, do the best you can and always ask what medications are being given and what they are for. Be sure the person who is giving the medication is aware of any allergies you may have.

If you are the patient and are not able to ask questions, then have your patient advocate (who knows your medical and prescription history) find out what drugs have been prescribed for you and why. Your patient advocate can then help verify if you are receiving the correct medications. You can do the same thing for a family member if you are their patient advocate. Some hospitals and pharmacies are now beginning to use bar code systems and other technology to help prevent drug-dispensing errors. However, not all hospitals are doing this yet, and no system is perfect. Therefore, it’s still best to double-check what drugs are being given to you at all times.

Bird flu is transmitted from birds to birds, not birds to humans. Actual human infections are pretty rare. And when and if it does mutate into a virus that can be transmitted to humans, drugs like Tamiflu (oseltamivir) probably won’t work anymore, because the drug was designed for the specific virus type that is transmitted bird to bird.

In fact it was recently reported that there has been an increase in influenza resistance to the drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir). Although previously less that 1% of influenza viruses were resistant to Tamiflu, now as many as 13% of influenza viruses are resistant. As quoted in The Star of Canada on January 29, 2008, "The European Centre for Disease Control has reported that laboratory analysis of 148 H1N1 flu viruses so far this season turned up 19 viruses with a mutation on the neuraminidase protein - the N in a flu virus’s name - at position 274." All of these resistant strains were in the human influenza virus. The experts were quoted as saying that they were "surprised" that the virus could mutate to a form that is transmissable to humans and still be viable.

What about for the regular flu? Tamiflu (and Zanamivir) are neuraminidase inhibitors; they prevent replication of influenza A and B viruses by interfering with the production and release of virus from cells that line the respiratory tract. They both need to be taken within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms to be useful. If you get the flu, Tamiflu will reduce the number of days you have symptoms from about seven to about five, i.e. not a very big deal. And in terms of prevention, they cut your risk by about half. Most people don’t want to take a drug all the time to prevent flu. And if you take it after someone in your house gets sick, it’s too late to prevent the flu. Side effects of both medications include swelling of the sinuses, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Patients with asthma or COPD may experience breathing problems. The Japanese drug regulatory agency has reported 64 cases of neuropsychiatric side effects, including "impaired consciousness, abnormal behaviors, hallucinations and other psychological and neurological symptoms" associated with Tamiflu, including two suicides. There have also been reports of seizures.

Bottom line is that there isn’t much point in stocking up on bird flu drugs. Better to wait until there is a virus that can be transmitted human to human and get a drug that works for that.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS may attract serious physiological and psychological problems if left unattended for a long time. Persistent and relapsing fatigue can be cited as the primary symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. The exact reason for this health problem still remains unknown to the medical world. The recent studies and researches held on this topic indicate that oxidative stress of the body may lead to CFS. It suggests the use of antioxidants in controlling the symptoms of CFS effectively. Based on this new theory many companies like Micro Nutra Health have developed different formulas like Activive to treat CFS.

A patient suffering from CFS may be compelled to give his fight against his disease due to the inefficiency of his medicine to indicate any positive change in the problems that makes his life miserable. Life may become a constant battle for such persons. This condition may ultimately lead to severe depression that requires psychological treatment.

Natural medications such as Activive and Mitamins that come under the category of alternative medicines are far better than the prescribed medicines that are used now by the patients of CFS. Activive, Vitagizer, Mitamins and Sutherlandia are the most commonly heard names among the various herbal or natural medicines used to treat CFS.

Activive, a product of Micronutra Health is a formula that can be safely used by any persons with the symptoms of CFS. As Activive contains no harsh chemicals in it, you do not have to worry about the serious side effects that come with a chemical based medicine to treat CFS. Continuous use of Activive in the prescribed dosage will provide your body all the eight critical sugars (glycol nutrition) that your body needs to function in a healthy way.

Just like Activive, Sutherlandia is basically concentrating in decreasing the mood variations and anxiety that are common in CFS patients. The herbs used to make Sutherlandia are intended to improve the energy levels of the patients by improving their appetite and body weight. Mitamins on the other hand is an attempt to improve the health condition of a CFS patient by providing him with the essential vitamins a patient f CFS requires. This supplement will provide vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin B6, Magnesim, Eluthero Extract, Licrice Extract and Thymus.

Vitagizer also is an attempt to improve the overall energy level of the body a patient by providing all natural herb extract that are known for their ability to improve the immune system of the body.

Among al these medicines the formula or the combination of various herbs used in Activive is seem to be more effective in addressing the root cause of the disease CFS. The ingredients used in Activive are found to be more effective than the ingredients used in other medicines in patients of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Hundreds and thousands of people around the world suffer from the symptoms of Candida. Fortunately for all of them there are several drugs that are available in the market. Threelac, Candisil, Candidate and Candidol are some of the names of the drugs that immediately spring to our mind when we talk about Candida.

Threelac is one of the drugs used for treating the condition of Candida, which can actually start as a simple yeast infection. Candisil is another widely used medication for Candida. Candidate is also widely prescribed in some countries for treating Candida. Although various drugs are available for treating Candida, perhaps the most effective and best possible relief can be had from using Candidol. This drug has come as a boon to people suffering from Candida.

Candida usually starts as a yeast infection which later on turns into what is known as Candida fungal overgrowth. This infection should not be taken lightly since it is known to be a silent killer. The infection is bound to become what is known as a systemic yeast infection over a period of time, if not removed. The infection can then metastasize into other forms of dangerous diseases. This is the reason why people had been seeking an effective remedy for a long time for Candida. Thanks to Candidol there is an effective drug available for fighting this type of infection.

Common symptoms of Candida include bloating, craving for sweets, skin rashes and loss of energy. Candidol works by acting on these symptoms along with addressing the problem as whole. Candidol is the most widely prescribed medication for Candida. The drug contains doctor approved proprietary formula that helps in fighting Candida. The medication, developed by Micronutra has helped millions of people suffering from Candida around the world.

Candida overgrowth is considered serious and should be immediately treated once detected. You should always inform your doctor about any other medication that you may be taking before you take Candidol. Although this is the case, Candidol is not known to interfere with other medications. The one major advantage that this drug has over other medications is that unlike most of the other drugs this is not a body cleanser. This is the reason the drug does not interfere with other medication, making it the safest bet for treating Candida overgrowth. You should treat yeast infections as soon as they begin since they could grow and move into your intestinal track very quickly. Fortunately for all of us Candidol is here to help us fight this form of deadly yeast infection.

Candidol, Candidate, Threelac and Candisil are the different medicines that claim to be effective to get rid of the annoying problems of Candida infection. All these medicines come under the category of no-prescription medicines that do not require prescriptions of a medical practitioner to purchase. They all claim to have used only natural ingredients in making these medicines. The tropical ingredients in these medicines make it safe to be used by any one who faces the problems associated with Candida infection.

If allowed to be invaded in the body, candida yeast may serious health issues in the human body. The toxins created by candida yeast are found to have adverse effect in the nutrient absorption ability of the body. The other serious health problems caused by candida yeast include leaku gut syndrome, food intolerance, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome and the development of various other auto immune syndromes.

The chemical based prescription medicines use to treat Candida infection are found to be dangerous when consumed for a long period of time. The tropical medicines like Candidol. Candidate, Threelac and Cadisil do not attract any of the side effects that come with a prescription medicine. You can use these medicines safely without bothering about the serious side effects caused by chemical based medicines.

It is the ingredients that are used to make a medicine make it effective in finding a solution for a particular health problem. If you want to know the effectiveness of various medicines used to treat a particular health problem, you should compare the effectiveness of various ingredients used in those medicines. When it comes to the ingredients used to make the medicines that we now attempt to compare, Candidol comes to the first place with its effective ingredients that are time tested for their use in treating infections that show symptoms similar to Candida infection.

Various natural herbal ingredients in Candidol are also found to be effective in providing various essential nutrients that are required by the body to maintain an effective immune system. Unlike many other medicines that attempt to cure the symptoms of the diseases with out addressing the root cause, Candidol attempt to eradicate the possibility of candida infection in future by strengthening the immune system of the body with the help of herb extracts in it.

Candidate, Threelac and Candisl do not seem to have utilised the essential natural remedies that are essential to build up the immune system of the body by incorporating those herbs in a perfect ratio as MicroNutra Health does in preparing Candidol. That can be the reason behind the ever increasing popularity of Candidol.

Cholestasys, Lipid Shield, GHS plus and Cholesterol Care are the different natural supplements meant for patients suffering from high cholesterol. People who do not want to take the risk and complications of the chemical based medicines always prefer a good natural alternative to the medicines that contain toxic chemicals.

Medicines like Cholestassys, Lipid Shield, GHS plus and Cholesterol Cre come as an alterative to the chemical based medicines that we now use to lower the increased level of cholesterol in our body. If you are ready to follow a healthy life style while consuming medicines like Cholestasys you will definitely be able to bring your cholesterol to its normal level.

To pick the best among the plenty of natural cholesterol fighting formulae now available in the market you should be able to understand the quality and use of the herb extracts used in these medicines.

Cholestasys, a product f MicroNutra Health is found to be very effective in reducing the increased cholesterol, if consumed in the prescribed manner. This unique preparation of valuable herbs such as Goggul, Niacin, Policosanol, Cayenne and Garilic is undoubtedly a miraculous one. As it is normal to all herb based medicines, Cholestasys also will not attract any side effects that are commonly associated with the chemical based medications used to treat cholesterol patients. The perfect mixing of these valuable herbs in Cholestasys makes it possible for the body to prevent bad cholesterol absorption into the body and to promote elimination of fat from the body. No other formula that is used to treat cholesterol is found as effective as Cholestasys now.

GHS Plus also is a cholesterol lowering formula that contains only safe natural ingredients. The various herbal extract and vitamins contained in these medicines also is safe to be used by any one without fearing about the side effects. It promises the reduction or elimination of plaque that cause heart disease.

Like Cholestasys, Healthy Choice Vitamin’s ‘Cholesterol Care’ contains a lot of essential herb extract such as Guggul Lipid, Beta-sitosterol, Red rice extract etc to make it effective in cholesterol patients.

Just like GHS plus and Cholesterol Care Lipid Shield also contains a lot of herb extracts that are commonly used as natural remedies to control various problems associated with increase in cholesterol level. The manufactures of Lipid Shield also assures lower cholesterol level if the patient is ready to follow a healthy life style while consuming this medicine.

What makes a natural medicine superior than medicines of similar nature is its perfect combination of the natural ingredients during the process of making the medicine. Then only it will be ale to bring the result that it promises to the patients who consumes it. The positive response of the patients who have used this Cholestasys makes it best among all the natural medicines that are now available in the market.

Herbal supplements such as Claritose, Allergy Season and Allergy-C-Buffered stand apart among the medicines that are used to remedy allergy related problems due to their ability to bring recovery from allergic problems without causing any side effects to the person who consumes it. Once you come to know about the seriousness of the side effects that are associated with the consumption of chemical based remedies for allergic problems, you will never attempt to take a medicine that is made of toxic chemicals.

Non prescription herbal or natural supplements such as Claritose, Mitamins, Allergy Season and Allergy-C-Buffered are a blessing for those who suffer from problems associated with allergic reactions. You can safely use these medicines without worrying about the side effects that are common with chemical based medicines. None of these medicines are capable of producing any of the side effects that come with other medicines.

Mitamins Advanced formula uses ingredients like Magnesium, Liquorice extract, American Ginseng extract, Vitamin C and Ginger extract in it. It mainly attempts to increase the vital capacity of the lungs with the help of Magnesium which can provide a dilating effect on the bronchial muscles. Allergy-C- Buffered caps is dietary supplements intended for asthmatic patients who are free of corn and citrus products. It contains Vitamin C, Calcium and Magnesium Carbonate.

Allergy Season formula from ‘Sand’ also is a dietary supplement meant for long term use by the patients. The ingredients of this formula include Pantothenic Acid, Bromelain, Nettle Leaf Extract, standardised grape seed and turmeric rhizome extract etc.

Claritose comes from the house of MicroNutra Health, a known company that produces a large variety of alternative medicines for various diseases. Like all other medicines that come from MicroNutra Health, this product named Claritose also is a success in eliminating the symptoms of allergies in patients. By using this medicine you will be able to regain your old self with no fear to about allergies. Asthma patients also will be able to eliminate the use of inhalers or other drugs they use to control asthma with continuous use of Claritose as per the prescription.

The ingredients in this medicine are found to be extremely good in attacking the root cause of allergic problem by strengthening the immune system of the body. The medicines that treat only the symptoms of the disease may not be able to bring the result that Claritose assures to the patients. The ingredients used in Claritose include Aloe Barbadensis, Astragali extract, Beta-Glucan, Arabinogalactan, Glucosamine Sulfate, Ghatti Gum and Guar gum.

The feedbacks from the persons who have consumed this medicine indicate the success of Claritose in brining positive changes in life. When compared to other medications used for the same purpose this medicine seem to be more effective in finding a permanent solution for allergic problems.

Endometriosis is a physical condition where the uterine line or endometrium shows a tendency to grow outside the uterus. It may attach to the other reproductive organs of the body. If left unattended it may even grow on the lungs, kidneys and skin. Heavy periods may also be an indication of the existence of ovarian cysts. Common symptoms of this disease include severe pain during the menstrual period, painful bowl movements, heavy or irregular menstrual cycle, lower back pain, pain during intercourse, pain during urination and infertility.

Most of the medicines that are now prescribed the physicians to treat this disease are made of toxic chemicals that are capable of inviting serious side effects to the body of the woman who consume it. Even a laparoscopic surgery need not always be helpful in patients of endometriosis on a long term basis.

Non prescription medicines such as Endovin come as a blessing for women who suffer the disease endometriosis. The extracts of the herbs that are used to make these natural supplements are found to be very effective in patients of endometriosis with no side effects. Endovin comes from the house of MicroNutra Health, a very popular company that produce a large variety of alternative medicines for various diseases. The ingredients of Endovin themselves act as a proof for the effectiveness of this medicine to find a permanent solution for the disease endometriosis.

Endovin contains only the time tested herbal medicines that are capable of eliminating the symptoms of endometriosis by eradicating the root cause of the disease. The ingredients of this Endovin include B6 Pyridoxine HCL, Vitamin E, Magnesium and Chasteberry Extract. These ingredients of Endovin are very effective in bringing the body of the patient to its normal condition by balancing the hormones and by relaxing the muscles of the abdomen. Chasteberry extract used in Endovin is very effective in correcting the hormonal imbalance of the body of the patient and to rectify almost all the problems relating to reproductive issues that are commonly seen in women.

Herbal Control a product Viable Herbal Dilutions also does not contain any harmful chemicals in it. Herbal Control various herbal extract such as False Unicorn root, Cramp Bark, Motherwort, Passion Flower etc in it. But a patient of endometriosis should be extremely cautious for not to use this medicine along with prescription anticoagulants or diuretics to avoid complications.

Endo-X is a homeopathic medicine from Native Remedy, intended to cure the symptoms associated with endometriosis. It aloes contains no addictives or artificial preservatives that are harmful to the body of the patients.

Phytoestrogen from Professional Solutions mainly concentrates in rectifying the menstrual irregularities in women. The ingredients of this medicine include Chaste tree berry, red clover, oat, Dandelion Leaf, Sage leaf etc.

Menopol, Promensil, Prevedia and Clonidine are the different medicines that are used to remedy the discomfort faced by the women who experience pre menopausal symptoms. Except Clonidine all other medicines that we are now going to compare belong to non prescription natural nutritional supplements. These medicines do not contain any harsh chemicals that may invite side effects or chemical reactions.

Menopol, Promensil and Prevedia use only hundred percent natural herbal extracts in their making. It can be used safely by any one who feels the discomforts such as hot flushing and mood variations with out worrying about the side effects that are commonly associated with a chemically generated medicine such as Clonidine. Once you start taking Clonidine, stopping it suddenly may result in severely high blood pressure and various other complications associated with it.

Prevedia from Nutrica is an all natural remedy to be used to cure the pre menopausal symptoms. It will help you to stabilise the hormonal imbalance that appear in women who face menopause. Near to 60% of the consumers of this medicine express their satisfaction in using this medicine to over come the difficulties during their pre menopausal period.

Premensil also is a safe medicine to be used by the women who face the annoying symptoms of menopause. It does not contain any artificial ingredients to keep the health of the woman who consumes it at risk. The natural ingredients in premensil are found to be good in keeping the natural balance of the hormones in the body of the woman who undergoes the discomforts associated with the menopause. Still the response from the consumers of premensil is not that positive to rate it as the best among the medicines that are available to cure the symptoms associated with pre menopausal period.

Menopol is another natural nutritional supplement meant to be used by the women experiencing the pre menopausal symptoms. The perfect blend of the natural ingredients in Menopol make it the most popular and the most wanted medicine among all other medicines used for the same purpose.

Menopol contains only the extracts of the most effective herbs that are proved to be effective in treating the symptoms associated with menopause. The powerful natural herb extracts in Menopol are found to be very effective in supporting the hormonal balance of the female body. The positive benefits of using Menopol to over come the problems associated with menopause include the increase in sex drive and optimum bone health of the body.

Many doctors have declared war on cough medicines, saying the latter are ineffective and are often used inappropriately. Worse, they are also one of the most abused drugs in the country.

A 2006 survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or SAMHSA showed that about 3.1 million people between the ages of 12 to 25 have used over-the-counter cough and cold medicine to get high.

"The abuse was highest among whites - at levels three times that of blacks. Overall, the level of abuse of these drugs is comparable to levels of use of LSD, methamphetamine or the drug ecstasy in this age group, the agency said. Among those ages 12 to 17, abuse of these drugs was most common among girls, while it shifted to young men among those 18 to 25," said the MSNBC News Services.

"Among those surveyed who said they had misused one of these cough and cold medications in the past year, about 30 percent said they used a NyQuil brand product, 18 percent used a Coricidin product and 18 percent used a Robitussin product," MSNBC added.

A common ingredient of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine is dextromethorpan or DMX that can cause dizziness, disorientation, blurred vision, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting when taken in large doses.

Drug companies don’t seem to mind the bad publicity cough medicines are getting and for a good reason. These products are earning billions of dollars world¬wide. In the United Kingdom, an estimated S275 million was spent on cough and cold remedies in 1991 alone. In that same year, Germans spent $547 million on self-medication with these products.

In spite of this gloomy picture, there is a good side to cough medicines. While I commend doctors’ efforts to protect consumers from dangerous drugs, the public should also be informed that certain coughs have to be treated, especially if they serve no purpose and interfere with sleep. What’s the best way to treat this kind of cough? What products work? How should they be used? This four part series will give you practical and medically sound guidelines on how to manage coughs.

It is said that if you dream of having a cough, it is a sign of impending disaster. That may be true in some cases for a cough is a symptom of many diseases. It should be brought to a doctor’s attention if it persists to rule out any underlying problem.

Coughing is the body’s way of clearing air passages of foreign matter and other secretions. In people with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung diseases, this kind of "productive" cough should not be suppressed. In most cases, drinking plenty of fluids -three to four pints a day or chicken soup - is all that’s required. That will help loosen phlegm.

"The cough is a protective reflex; it clears your breathing passes of secretions. As long as it accomplishes this task effectively, it is to be regarded as normal and even healthy," said Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book."

To strengthen your body, take Immunitril - your first line of defense in maintaining a healthy immune system. For details, visit http://www.bodestore.com/immunitril.html. (Next: Controlling cough).