Polypharmacy

 Polypharmacy is when a patient uses several medications from several classes of medications than is clinically warranted. These drugs can be over-the-counter and prescribed by a physician. Patients who have more than one doctor and use more than one pharmacy are at risk of overusing multiple drugs.

Additionally, individuals who "take matters in their own hands", take a mixture of over-the-counter medications that are not FDA approved for the claims the drug manufacturers are making. The dangers of  polypharmacy are drug to drug adverse reaction and you may be creating a health issue that wasn't there prior to use of all these drugs.

If you are seeing multiple physicians write down a list of your current medications and bring this list with you to all doctor appointments so he may be informed as to what you are taking. If you want to self-prescribe, notify the person who has medical training and has earned the credentials MD or DO after his name as to the cocktail of over-the-counter medications you are thinking about taking for whichever ailment you self-diagnosed.

Be drug responsible. Here is something for you to ponder: Medicine is the art of entertainment while nature takes its course.

Good health,
Trisha M. Pacenti RN, BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com

Why should you care?

If you don't care and complain, then why should the person your complaining to care? If you don't care, then why are you complaining? The fact your complaining should tell you that you do care and the very thing or situation your complaining about is bothersome to you. Cease the complaining be pro-active and figure out a solution. Put the plan in motion and start your way to positive changes. Leave the negativity buried.

Let me make this relative to you. There are people who don't care about a lot of things. They should but they don't. The people who share this same way of thinking or lack there of are non- productive and self- destructive. Such a waste because no one benefits from this
frame of mind. The only person your fooling is yourself.

I write this article because of the amount of "I don't care (s)" I hear from people during life insurance conversations. Why don't they care?

What that translates to is; I don't care who pays the bill because I'll be dead. I don't care what my family decides because I'll be dead. I don't care where they get the money because I won't be here. I don't care about the money because someone else will pay for it. I don't have to pay for anything because the government will take care of it.

Really? Is this the legacy you wish to leave behind? Do you wish a financial crisis on your family? Do you want your family facing potential financial difficulties? Do you want your family to make last minute decisions because you don't want to take the time to plan? Do you want to be a burden?

Why should you care? Why should anyone care? Why should I care?

Because it's human.

Take time to care. Be responsible.

Trisha M. Pacenti RN, BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com