Author: Liana Pendleton - Page 2
How to Build a Personal Medication Safety Plan with Your Care Team
A personal medication safety plan helps prevent dangerous drug interactions, overdoses, and confusion. Learn how to create a clear, actionable plan with your care team using simple steps and expert-backed strategies.
Special Instructions on Prescription Medication Labels Explained
Special instructions on prescription labels tell you how to safely take your medicine - not just how much. Misunderstanding them can lead to serious health risks. Learn what common phrases mean, where to find them, and how to avoid dangerous mistakes.
Metoclopramide and Antipsychotics: The Hidden Risk of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
Combining metoclopramide and antipsychotics can trigger Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome-a life-threatening condition. Learn why this interaction is deadly, who’s at risk, and what safer alternatives exist.
Congressional Bills Aim to Tackle Drug and Healthcare Provider Shortages in 2025
Two new congressional bills aim to fix America's worsening drug and healthcare provider shortages, but a historic government shutdown has stalled progress. Here's what's in them-and why they might not pass.
Manufacturing Cost Analysis: Why Generic Drugs Are So Much Cheaper
Generic drugs cost far less than brand-name versions because they skip expensive R&D, benefit from massive production scale, and avoid marketing costs. They make up 90% of U.S. prescriptions but only 23% of spending - saving the healthcare system trillions.
Dechallenge and Rechallenge in Drug Side Effects: What These Tests Mean
Dechallenge and rechallenge are key clinical tools used to determine if a drug caused a side effect. Stopping the drug (dechallenge) and safely restarting it (rechallenge) provide the strongest evidence of causality in pharmacovigilance.
Boxed Warning Changes: Tracking FDA Label Updates Over Time
Boxed warnings are the FDA's strongest safety alerts for prescription drugs, highlighting life-threatening risks. Tracking their changes over time is critical for safe prescribing, with updates logged in the SrLC database since 2016. Learn how these warnings evolve and what they mean for patients and providers.
Presbyopia: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How Reading Glasses Help
Presbyopia is the natural loss of near vision that happens to everyone as they age, typically starting in their 40s. Learn why it occurs, how reading glasses and other options help, and what to expect as you get older.
Probiotics and Gut Health: What the Science Says About Digestive Supplements
Probiotics can help with antibiotic-related diarrhea and infectious diarrhea in children, but not all strains work for every issue. Learn what the science says about dosing, strains, and when they actually make a difference.
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs: What Patients Need to Know
Narrow therapeutic index drugs require extreme precision in dosing. Learn which common medications fall into this category, why switching brands can be risky, how to monitor your levels, and what steps to take to stay safe.
Alternative Medication Classes: Different Drugs, Different Side Effects
Different types of medications - prescription, OTC, and herbal - carry unique side effect risks. Learn how to spot dangerous interactions, understand generic vs. brand differences, and protect yourself from hidden dangers.
Post-Transplant Infections: How to Prevent, Vaccinate, and Monitor After Kidney Transplant
After a kidney transplant, infections are the top threat. Learn how to prevent them with the right medicines, safe vaccines, daily habits, and smart monitoring-based on the latest clinical guidelines and real-world data.