Re: unpronounceable chemical drug names

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Here's an outline of essential information for a carry-it-on-you medical info sheet. Carry this list with you at all times (as far as possible) and make sure to update it as changes occur and/or at least every 4-6 months. Having such a list at the ready in an emergency is astonishingly helpful to medical personnel and could even save your life. Full name Date of birth Social Security number Medical conditions - list all diagnoses; also list any implanted medical devices like pacemakers, stents, etc. Medications as of [insert date] - list all medications; including vitamins and/or other supplements, over-the-counter medications you use routinely, any herbal or naturopathic medications; include dosage strength and how often each medication is taken. Allergies and other adverse reactions to medications, also any

food allergies. Note if you have an advance health care directive in place and who your agent/agents is/are, include their phone numbers and any special provisions like "do not resuscitate". Physicians - list all current physicians, their phone numbers and their specialties. Lee <jackalope_lepus@...> wrote: Name that drug: Many patients can't By SteenhuysenCHICAGO (Reuters) - Most doctors rely on patients to give them anaccurate account of what drugs

they are taking, but a new U.S. studypublished on Thursday suggests many patients get it wrong.About 40 percent of 119 patients taking blood pressure medication inthree community health centers could not accurately recall what drugsthey were taking.That number jumped to 60 percent for those with low health literacy, ameasure of their ability to read and comprehend health-relatedmaterials, researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School ofMedicine in Chicago found.This could lead to drug interactions and the undertreatment of chronicdiseases, said Dr. Persell, whose study will appear in theNovember issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine."I don't think we have a good grasp on how important this problem isin terms of the medical outcomes," he said in a telephone interview.Persell said the problem was worse than expected and poses challengesfor doctors who are trying to

understand why a patient's health is notimproving with treatment."Does it mean the patients are not responding well to the medicationor are they not using the medication?" he said.Persell and colleagues studied 119 patients with high blood pressureand an average age of 55 at three community health centers in GrandRapids, Michigan.People were asked to name their blood pressure medications and theresearchers compared their answers to the drugs listed in theirmedical charts.They found about one-third of patients with adequate health literacywere unable to name their drugs accurately.Even a look at a patient's medical records may not present an accuratepicture of the drugs a patient is actually taking, he said.Some of his own patients have continued taking prescription drugs eventhough he prescribed a different drug and told them to stop."Patients and doctors have to be in agreement

about what drugspatients are actually taking," he said.One possible solution is for patients to physically bring theirmedicines to the doctor's office."If they have to go to the hospital, they should bring their pillbottles with them. They should know the name of their pharmacy, so ifthere is a question, the healthcare workers can call the pharmacy," hesaid.He also suggested that drugmakers should be encouraged to simplify thenames of drugs once they become generic. Currently, generic drugs aresold by their chemical names, which are unpronounceable for theaverage patient."We need a system-wide approach for this," Persell said.http://news./s/nm/20071011/hl_nm/medication_errors_dc;_ylt=AiC9DX.7iGbfHVP9ojWJguW9j7ABSAVE YOUR LIFEWhich is why our

Group Moderators encourage you to carry your medicalinformation on one sheet for paramedics, ER docs, and ER nurses:Keep medical history at handIt's easier than ever to compile your medical historyhttp://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/ALkOR6yIpHUh6_Te_2GzaiTdiRcGR8fPDsM3T_GBD72XIsV0TpWl7BlxKvMeK7e8CCcDxhH2L6nQmUp2ozgYSQ/Personal%20Health/Keep%20medical%20history%20at%20handhttp://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/healthyliving2/stories/112905dnlivNH_records.69be67a.html . Do one thing every day that scares you. Eleanor Roosevelt