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A lifetime prescription: Stay informed
By NANCY PARADIS, Times Action Columnist Dealing with health issues can be confusing, but the situation gets worse as you age and find yourself under the care of different doctors for different conditions. One way to take a more active role in your health care is to become informed. Knowledge about your health can help you know what questions to ask your doctor(s) about your diagnosis and treatment. Learning about the drugs you take can help you be alert to potential side effects as well as possible drug interactions. There is a wealth of consumer health information available today on the Internet. Be aware that not all of it is of equal quality. Some of it may fall under the heading of quackery and even be dangerous. To help determine if a Web site is accurate and up-to-date, find out the original source for the medical information. Was it reviewed by an advisory board, and if so, when? Is the site supported by advertising from someone who stands to benefit from your health-care decisions? As you become more medically savvy, it can be tempting to diagnose and treat yourself. Our advice: Don't. Instead, open the lines of communication with your physician, who can be one of your most important allies in your quest to maintain or regain your health. The following sources can serve as a starting place for reliable health information. National Institutes of Health, (301) 496-4000; www.nih.gov. With 27 separate institutes and centers, the NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, is the federal focal point for medical research. Its Web site offers one-stop shopping for the consumer in search of medical information. Check out the following select links to: National Library of Medicine, www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus, call toll-free 1-888-346-3656. Medlineplus, a treasure trove of good health information from the National Library of Medicine, provides information on more than 600 diseases and conditions. Updated daily, it includes lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials; www.healthfinder.gov, a similar site from the Department of Health and Human Services; National Cancer Institute, www.nci.nih.gov, call toll-free 1-800-422-6237; National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, www.nccam.nih.gov; Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center, www.alzheimers.org, call toll-free 1-800-438-4380. Resource Directory for Older People. National Institute on Aging, P.O. Box 8057, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057; call toll-free 1-800-222-2225; www.nia.nih.gov/rd/default.htm. Published jointly by the National Institute on Aging and the Administration on Aging, this directory contains the names and contact information of federal agencies, AoA-supported resource centers, professional societies, private groups and volunteer programs that provide information and other resources relating to the needs of older persons. For those who don't have access to a computer and can't get to an area library, this directory is indispensable. As if health issues aren't problem enough, prescription drugs can be a challenge as well. The key to recognizing side effects and avoiding possible complications from drug interactions starts with communication. Because visits to different doctors can result in multiple prescriptions, let each doctor know what medications you are taking. This includes over-the-counter medication as well as herbal products. Keep in mind that certain foods can also have an effect on your medications. If you get your prescriptions filled at a single pharmacy, your pharmacist should be alert to any potential problems; however, if you shop at different pharmacies, let each know what you're taking. As for getting financial help with your prescriptions, the following can help steer you to assistance programs: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, www.phrma.org, call toll-free 1-800-762-4636. In addition to its directory of prescription-drug assistance programs for low-income patients, it has links to: www.helpingpatients.org, an interactive site to help find assistance programs; www.rxhope.com, a Web portal for physicians to submit applications for patient assistance over the Internet; patients can also locate the information necessary for the doctor to request their products, including what drugs are available and phone numbers for help; links to federal and state assistance programs; www.rxassist.org, information on programs of "last resort."
-- Write to Nancy Paradis in care of Seniority, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.
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From the Times Seniority pages | |||||||||||||||||||
