The Last Line of Defense Against Medication Errors

Written by Timothy McNamara, MD, MPH


Continued from page 1

In this series, we are going to take a close look atrepparttar processes that cause medication errors (some things that your physician and pharmacist may not even want you to know) and what steps you can specifically take to make sure that you and your love ones are protected from this hazard.

Ten years ago, your ability to get current, objective, reliable information on your medications in a quick and easy way was practically non-existent. It probably would have involved a trip torepparttar 114972 library and required considerable knowledge about pharmacology to getrepparttar 114973 answers.

Today, that’s notrepparttar 114974 case. There is a host of on-line tools, databases, and resources that allow you to learn information about medications that even your physician and pharmacist may not know.

We’re going to talk about them, show you were to go, tell yourepparttar 114975 key things you need to know about medications, expose some myths, and let you knowrepparttar 114976 questions you should be asking. It’s not as hard as it may seem.

In fact, you need to becomerepparttar 114977 final line of defense inrepparttar 114978 battle against medication errors.

Throughout, we are going to give you some key rules that should guide your defense.

So, Rule Number 1. Trust, but verify. Never assume thatrepparttar 114979 medication you have received isrepparttar 114980 right medication for you or that it is dosed correctly for you. Specifically, you should check:

•the name ofrepparttar 114981 patient onrepparttar 114982 bottle; •the name ofrepparttar 114983 doctor onrepparttar 114984 bottle; •the name ofrepparttar 114985 medication (and cross check it to be sure that it treats a disease or problem you actually have…there are lots of look-alike/sound-alike drug names out there); •the dose (from an independent source…to make sure that it is a plausible dose for you); •the “route” (to make sure, for example, that eye drops are being prescribed forrepparttar 114986 eye, and notrepparttar 114987 mouth, orrepparttar 114988 ear…amazingly injuries from drug misplacement occur allrepparttar 114989 time); •the expiration date.

We’ll talk about some specific resources that will help with each of these throughout this series.

The result, we hope, will berepparttar 114990 piece of mind to know that you and your family are getting your 7 rights:

•right drug; •right patient; •right dose; •right time; •right route; •right reason; •right documentation.

Right on!

© 2004 Timothy McNamara, MD, MPH

Timothy McNamara, MD, MPH is a nationally prominent expert in medication safety and healthcare technology. For additional practical steps you can take to improve medication safety and a personalized report of your medication profile, go to: http://www.medicationadvisor.com/art1.asp.


Lacking B Vitamins Can effect Your Moods

Written by Judi Singleton


Continued from page 1

high in B-5. Most foods contain some B-6 but those that arerepparttar best sources include

brewers or nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, walnuts,

carrots, legumes, soybeans, chicken, eggs, fish, organ meats, spinach,

blackstrap molasses, and whole grains. The largest amounts of B-12 are found in nutritional yeast, liver,

clams, eggs, meats, fish, and dairy products. Some B-12 is available

from sea vegetables such as dulse, kelp, kombu, and nori. Good sources for biotin are nutritional yeast, soybeans, whole grains,

egg yolks, milk, meat, poultry, and saltwater fish. Choline is a major ingredient in lecithin and lecithin makes up about

30% ofrepparttar 114971 dry weight ofrepparttar 114972 brain. Lecithin provides other important

nutrients including phospholipids, fats, and glycolipids. Choline is

also found in egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, liver, soybeans,

yeast, and wheat germ. The best supplemental source is phosphatidyl

choline. All dark leafy greens (the foliage that folic acid is named after) are

good food sources of folic acid. These include kale, spinach, beet

greens, and chard. Other sources are nutritional yeast, rice germ,

wheat germ, blackeye peas, beans and lentils, asparagus, liver,

soybeans, wheat bran, and walnuts. Inositol Whole grains, nutritional yeast, lecithin, citrus fruits,

nuts, seeds, legumes, unrefined molasses, meats, and dairy. By just reading throughrepparttar 114973 list above about what food sources of

Vitamin B complex are one can see that they do not include what is

generally eaten inrepparttar 114974 American diet. Add factors like depleted soil,

high stress life styles and one can see how deficiencies have become

commonplace. Just popping B complex pills does not curerepparttar 114975 problem.

Only changingrepparttar 114976 way we eat can do that. One ofrepparttar 114977 reasons I personally was convinced to include these foods in

my diet besides feeling really good when I did was thatrepparttar 114978 B complex

vitamins curb food cravings. I also raised a small garden without

pestisides this year. I do not drink alcohol and I have looked at ways

to reduce stress. Huge dietary changes do not work for most of us but changing one or two

things in your diet each month adds up and can make you feel a whole

lot better. Try small changes like putting spinach on sandwiches

instead of lettuce, replace your salad greens put in things like kale,

swiss chard, other dark green vegetable, try adding asparagus to a

salad. Eat a handful of soy nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, or walnuts

as a snack. Eat fresh fruit for an evening snack instead of having a

Big Mac attack.

About the Author: Judi Singleton is the publisher of Jassmine's Journal

an ezine made up of eight lists covering the topics of business, life

as a spiritual journey, wellness, angels, writing, art, poetry,

creating your life, her.bs, and goddess religion. If you would like to subscribe please go to

http://www.motherearthpublishing.com


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