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Section 3
Drugs/Medications |
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 The information
under this section is for your information only. If someone is receiving care from more than one doctor,
each doctor should be aware of all the drugs being taken. Preferably, people should obtain
all their prescription drugs from the same pharmacy, one that maintains a complete drug profile for each patient. The pharmacist
can then check for the possibility of interactions and alert your physician and you. Every person should fill out and
keep an updated Medication Form to provide your health care professionals.
Consult your pharmacist when selecting over-the-counter drugs (for example,
laxatives, antacids, and cough or cold remedies), particularly if you are also taking any prescription drugs. |
Definitions
Drug Information - Resources to look up medications,
alternative medicines, Ask Questions, Clinical Trials, Safety Issues, etc.
Look up or do a search definitions used to describe a loved ones symptoms or condition.
Search by Medical Abbreviations, Pharmaceutical Companies, Medical Terms
Dictionary, Medical ARticles, Drug Search, Merck Manual, Medical Books, Clinical Trials Googles and more!
Prescription Medication
Information
our database has more than 60,000 entries for generic and brand-name drugs and related
compounds, including immunizations, hormones, vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other supplements. Don't remember how to spell
it? Even typing the first few letters of the name will work
Ask A Patient - Add a rating for your medicine or
look at ratings and comments from other patients. This database contains all prescription drugs currently approved by the
FDA, along with many over-the-counter medicines. Find your medicine bottle and type in the drug name (at least first three
letters)
From the United States Pharmacopoeia
Do a search on your prescription. Also see their Drug FAQs to see questions about drugs provided by Drug InfoNet users and the Answers provided by
the Drug InfoNet Doctor. They also provide: Official Package Inserts - Official Package Insert information on pharmaceuticals for both health professionals and
consumers, available by brand name, generic name, manufacturer and therapeutic class and the Patient Package Inserts - Information on pharmaceuticals for patients, in easy-to-understand notation from the pharmaceutical
manufacturers available by brand name, generic name, manufacturer and therapeutic class.
You may need to join to access this valuable information from the Harvard Medical Schools,
but it's free. Also see their:
Find information on more than 8,000 prescription and over-the-counter
drugs
Requires a subscription to MedScape but it's free. Excellent
resource for research, scientific studies, etc.
Nurses PDR
Contains "Physicians Desk Reference" information for drugs from Delma Publishers.
Provides recommended dosage amounts. Includes generic names. The PDR is what your doctor probably uses to help
with prescribing decisions.
Drug Price Compare
Pillbot.com 1 is the most advanced prescription comparison shopping guide on the Internet.
Searching for the "Best" price has never been easier. Simply type the name of the medication in the box above and click submit.
They are partnered with HealthMeds.com in order to provide you with special features like health related content
General Health Resources
Ordering and buying medication online is convenient but does require caution. The Food
and Drug Administration offers guidelines ondetermining who's a reputable seller on the Web and how to detect fraud.
HealthCentralrx.com - A general health site with specialized columnists. There's a psychiatrist with an
interesting topic of the week, and a couple of people who write about health topics of interest to everybody. Features a topic
of the month in which a doctor responds to a question. There's also a library of diseases, and a drug news link. You can register
for a health profile and subscribe to a newsletter.
FDA brochure on using medicines wisely
National Assn. of Boards of Pharmacy's site. The NABP is a professional association representing
the state boards of pharmacy in all 50 states. After you indicate whether you're looking for over-the-counter remedies, prescription
medications or medical devices, the site brings up a list of online pharmacies.
The Merck Manual of Medical Information One of the most comprehensive sources of information!
Truth About Choosing Medical Treatments FDA
Vitality Inc.Magazine - A very good resource on issues of Health in general. Excellent articles, links, etc.
Clinical Trials in Medicines
Clinical Trials - Yahoo long listing and links by type of therapy you're interest
in.
Web Med Clinical Trials - Center Watch's listing of more than 7,500 clinical trials recruiting patients. It also lists
U.S.
government-funded trials and drug treatments recently approved by the FDA.
Other Reading
Your Body - From Drug Info Net -The coolest part of this site is its
medical reference and study section which whisks you away to sites where you can see what your knee
looks like from the inside. Click on a spot and you get the scientific name. |
Alternative Medicines
Safety Issues
Dietary Supplements- USP created the Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP)
to help inform and safeguard the growing number of consumers who use dietary supplements. Dietary Supplements Information Monographs
FDA (Food and Drug Administration
Drug Risk Navigation -This site requires you sign up (free) and provide information. It allows you to search
for drug interactions and side effects. To try, click on 'add drug', then add your conditions and allergies. Subscription
available for patients to keep a health profile online.
Food & Drug Interactions -Physicians and pharmacists recognize that some foods and drugs, when taken during
the same period of time, can alter the body's ability to utilize a particular food or drug, or cause serious side effects.
This brochure is designed to help you decide if your diet should be changed in any way to adjust to the effects of medicine
you are using. It covers the interactions - that is, what can occur between foods and drugs - of the more commonly used medications,
both prescription and nonprescription (or over-the-counter). Developed jointly by: American Pharmaceutical Association,
Food and Drug Administration, Food Marketing Institute,National Consumers League
InteliHealth Drug Index Safety
Important Product Safety Information FDA Safety Alerts for Drugs, Biologics, Devices, and Dietary Supplements
Index Of Safety-Related Drug Labeling Summaries Approved By FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Medication Counseling Behavior Guidelines (USP) An evaluation tool to assist health care professionals in their
efforts to improve patient counseling. Provides recommendations for effective medication counseling. Is your health
care professional providing these?
Internet gateway for timely safety information on the drugs and other medical products
regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Over-the-Counter Drugs Merck Manual - Excellent Resource everyone should read!! Learn what you should and
should NOT do when mixing prescriptions medications with OTC products. OTC drugs are those available without a prescription.
Safety depends on using an OTC drug properly. Often the labels of OTC drugs don't list the full range of possible adverse
reactions. As a result, many people assume that these drugs have few, if any, adverse effects.
Overview of Drugs-Merck Manual - A drug may affect several functions, even though it's targeted at only one. For example, antihistamines can help relieve
allergy symptoms such as a stuffy nose, watery eyes, and sneezing. But because most antihistamines affect the nervous system,
they can also cause sleepiness, confusion, blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation, and problems with urination.
(see box, page 41).Anyone taking a drug shouldn't hesitate to ask a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to explain the goals of treatment,
the types of adverse drug reactions and other problems that may arise, and the extent to which they can participate in the
treatment plan to help ensure the best outcome. (see page 46 in Chapter 11, Compliance With Drug Treatment) People should
also keep their health care practitioners well informed about their medical history, current medications, and any other relevant
information. Drug interactions may occur between prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs. (see pages 36
in Chapter 8, Factors Affecting Drug Response and 65 in Chapter 13, Over-the-Counter Drugs)
Prescription Medicines Safety -This guide will help you establish a better dialogue with your health
care professionals, and provide you with some valuable information to make sure you use medications safely ... and effectively.
From Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical
Virtual Drugstore: Drug Caution Code an easy-to-understand warning system for non-prescription (OTC) medicines. |
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