Patients with chronic illness need support and encouragement to take their medications. SMS messaging is a simple, cheap and seemingly effective way to keep them on track.
Safeway pharmacist Ronak Amin is shown at his work station at the store in Wheaton, Maryland, February 13 2015.
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Claire Meehan, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Pharmaceutical companies can use prescription medication ads to mislead an unwitting public for the sake of profits. While Australia prohibits such ads, the laws don’t go far enough.
Do you still need to take that?
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As people with chronic conditions age or as their health changes, they sometimes need less medication. So when, should a person’s drugs be scaled down?
Look for a warning on the box before you attempt to crush or chew tablets, or cut capsules open.
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Some people are incapable of swallowing tablets because of physical or psychological reasons. What should they do when the doctor prescribes a drug that comes in tablet form?
How can doctors manage drug shortages ethically?
IV via drpnncpptak/Shutterstock
Four years ago, just before Christmas, my hospital ran out of cytarabine, an essential drug used to treat and cure certain kinds of acute leukemia. This drug was suddenly in short supply across the nation…
Why are hospitals running out of critical drugs?
IV drip via Bhakpong/Shutterstock
Hospitals and pharmacies around the country are facing severe shortages of essential drugs. These shortages can limit access to critical medications and compromise patient safety, resulting in serious…
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Trade negotiations currently being conducted behind closed doors could see a major setback to providing access to essential medicines for the world’s poorest people. The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement…