The beginning of October marks the start of Talk About Prescriptions Month, which is sponsored by the National Council on Patient Information and Education. In support of this annual awareness effort, Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) is sharing tips to help consumers safely take over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications.
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“According to the Institute of Medicine, at least 1.5 million preventable adverse-drug reactions occur in the United States each year,” notes Virginia E. White, Pharm. D., FCSHP, senior vice president and chief clinical officer of Health Net Pharmaceutical Services, the pharmacy benefit management subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. She adds, “Seniors need to be particularly careful, as they take more medication than any other age group. In fact, a study reported in the July 2008 edition of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy found that one out of every 10 elderly individuals is admitted to the hospital due to an adverse-drug reaction.”
Ten tips
“While medications are obviously designed to help rather than harm you,” White explains, “serious complications – even death – can result if certain precautions aren’t taken.” To help avoid such complications, White suggests taking the following steps: