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Medications:
Safety, Storage and \Disposal
Are your medications in your handbag, medicine cabinet, and vanity drawer, in the cabinet next to spices or your dishes? How old are the medications? Are they six months old, a year, older? Do you have medications from dental surgery three years ago? Make a commitment today to organize your medications so you always know where they are located and have the confidence they are secure from pets, children, or visitors.
Below you will find a few tips that will aid you in keeping your pharmaceuticals fresh and out of reach for those who should not have access.
Always use medications whether they are prescription or over the counter safely and according to package or insert directions. Each year, take an inventory, discard any unused, unneeded or expired drugs, and store usable medications wisely
Proper Medication Safety,
Storage and Disposal Quiz
Answer True or False to the following:
1. I have a list of all my (and my family member's) medications (prescriptions as well as over the counter drugs).
2. I have your checked the expiration date on your medications in the last year.
3. Have you discarded all unused, unneeded or expired medications?
4. You may discard unused, unneeded or expired medications in the trash.
5. You may discard unused, unneeded or expired medications in the toilet.
6. The best place to store medications is in the bathroom.
7. I have a special place to store each family member's medications so they are not easily confused.
8. I have all medications stored behind locks to minimize the risk of drugs being taken by others.
9. I never take or dispense drugs to family member in the dark.
10. I always store drugs in the bottle in which they were purchased.
11. I never mix drugs in the same bottle.
Best answers to the Proper Medication Safety, Storage and Disposal Quiz
1-T. If you do not currently have a list, consider putting a list together. It can save valuable time especially in case of an emergency.
2-T. Making time to review medications will ensure drugs that will work as intended
3-T Make a date once a year to clean out dated, unused or old drugs.
4-T; 5-F. According to the federal guidelines developed by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) http://www.hhs.gov/ in February 2007, consumer should take unused, unneeded or expired prescriptions out of their original container and throw them in the trash. The federal guideline indicates that you should only flush prescriptions down the toilet ONLY if the label or accompanying information specifically instructs doing so.
6-F. The best place to store medication is one that is convenient, cool and dry. This means most bathrooms are not the ideal storage area.
7-T. Separating family medication storage will reduce the chances of providing the wrong medications to the wrong person.
8-T. Locking medications reduces the chance of drugs being taken by others. Lock up medications to minimize the risk of the drugs being taken by others, this is especially so for controlled substances such as hydromorphone (Dilaudid®), oxycodone (OxyContin®, and Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®)
9-T.Turn on the lights when taking medications or providing to others to minimize the chance of taking the wrong drug.
10-T; 11-T. By storing only the medication in the original package or bottle you reduce the likelihood of another family member taking the wrong drug.
Resources
National Council on Patient Information and Education
www.talkaboutrx.org
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Dear Henrietta,
The topics this month are on breast cancer and medication safety. Both are topics that resonate with most families. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women except for skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the chances of developing breast cancer is about 1 in 8. It is estimated that 178,480 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Also, nearly every family at one time or another is in need of medication either prescription or over-the-counter. In this newsletter you will receive tips on breast cancer awareness and on the safe storage and disposal of medications. I hope you enjoy these articles and I look very forward to sharing with you health tips in the months to come. Thank you for joining our online community! |
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Breast Cancer Awareness |
 As October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and October 19 is National Mammography Day, I am reminded of the day when I found a lump in my breast. I mentioned it to my gynecologist who responded, to the best of my memory, that it was "just a little something we would like to take a closer look at". I remember walking away and the concern I felt at that moment. I now had another appointment to make. I made the appointment the next day and was told the earliest ultrasound appointment was two (2) weeks away. It was the earliest appointment available. The two weeks past and I remember watching the technician as she scanned my breast stopping for focused photographs of the lump. I remember my mind wandering; it was difficult to recall what the technician was saying. I do remember the part where the physician's assistant called me later in the week and told me the physician would like me to schedule a lumpectomy. The assistant scheduled a data about two weeks out.
Those two weeks were like a sentence, the moments barely ticked away. I just wished I could know something. I did feel comforted knowing my best friend, my sister and my mother had gone through similar experiences with great results. During those moments I remember feeling hopeful for similar results. Finally I arrive home from work on a Tuesday afternoon and received a message on my answering machine; it was from my doctor's office. It was a message that stated they had received my results and would like me to call so they may go over a few things.
With dread and fear, I called the doctor's office; I was put on hold and finally spoke to the physician's assistant to discuss the findings. I don't really remember what she said other than the word "benign"-I knew that meant non cancerous and for that I continue to be extremely grateful. From that moment forward, I felt my life had been spared.
I flashback; I remember my days as an intern with the American Cancer Society, while there, one of my duties was participating in the "Reach to Recovery" program. Those pamphlets and brochures I distributed now took on a deeper and more personal meaning.
In writing this article I am thinking about what we now know about breast cancer. It is not the dreaded disease it was in 1982 when I was an intern with the American Cancer Society. Individuals live longer and healthier lives than they did 25 years ago. We still do not know what exactly causes breast cancer, but the American Cancer Society ( http://www.cancer.org/) identifies risk cancer related to the disease. Notice the term "related" it is not the same thing as causal factors. What we know is that individual s with certain risk factors are more likely to have breast cancer it is not a certainty that cancer will develop in women with these risk factors. However, please be reminded that if you have several risk factors it is important to be diligent in performing monthly breast self exam and reducing as many risk factors over which you have control.
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BREAST CANCER Risk Factors |
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Somewhat Controllable |
Uncontrollable |
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Not Having Children or Having Them Later in Life- Women who have first child after 30, have a slight increase risk |
Gender- male/female Women are about 100X more likely to have breast cancer than men. |
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Birth Control Pills-Some studies have shown slight increases in breast cancer in women who use birth control pills. However women who stop using 10 or more years appear to have no increased risk. |
Age- Women over the age of 55 account for 2/3 of invasive breast cancer |
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Hormone Replacement Therapy- In some studies, Women who take hormone replacement therapy may have an increased risk of breast cancer. Please talk to your doctor and see American Cancer Society Web Site listed below for more details: (http://www.cancer.org). |
Genetics- Women with genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 have an 80% chance of getting breast cancer during their lifetime. There is also new research indicating other genes may also contribute to breast cancer. |
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Breast feeding-Some studies have shown slightly lower risk of breast cancer in mothers whom breastfeed. |
Family history- Women who have family members with breast cancer such as a mother, sister, or daughter doubles a woman's risk of the disease. |
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Alcohol consumption- Women who drink between 2 - 5 drinks a day has a 1.5 times the risk of a women who does not drink alcohol. |
Previous history -Women who have been diagnosed with cancer increases the chance of getting a new cancer in the other breast or another part of the same breast. |
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Being Overweight- There is conflicting research on this topic. However, the American Cancer Society as well as most healthcare organizations, recommends maintaining a healthy weight throughout your lifetime. |
Race- White women are slightly more at risk than African American women. Yet African American women are more likely to die. It is believed that this is so because tumors tend to grow faster in these women. Research also indicates that Asian, Hispanic and American Indians have a lower risk of getting breast cancer. |
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Exercise- Studies have shown that exercise reduces a woman's chance of getting breast cancer. One study found that as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2 and half hours of brisk walking per week reduced the risk by 18%. |
Early Menstruation (before 12) and late menopause (after 55) -Women who have experienced early onset of menstruation or late menopause have slight increase risk of breast cancer. |
Today, breast cancer is discussed in more venues, a routine subject of "buddy check" programs are discussed on the evening news. Pink ribbons are located on everything from tennis bags to golf shirts, including household appliances. Even with the great strides made in the last decade, there are still lots more work to do.
Although we have discussed the risk factors, one of the most important things you can do to detect the earliest stages of breast cancer is to conduct a breast self exam (BSE). Breast self exam is a lifesaver as it allows for the individual to become aware of a potential problem. It is best to conduct the exam in the shower or bath as your hands glide more smoothly along breast tissue. Use your right hand to check for your left breast and use your left hand to check your right breast. Imagine your breast as a face of a clock. Start at the 12:00 position and move around the breast in a clockwise fashion feeling for lumps knots or thickenings. This should be done every month, preferably a day or two after the end of your menstrual cycle. Also, look in the mirror after you emerge from the shower and look for changes in the shape of the breast with your hands along your sides and again as you raise your hands overhead. Just as you conducted the exam, in the shower, also check lying down using the same pattern beginning at 12:00 and circulate with an open and flat hand at each hour using a clockwise direction until you arrive back at the 12:00 position. In addition to checking your breast in the shower, in the mirror and lying down, also contact your physician should you experience pain, warm sensations, tenderness, rash, dimpling or change in nipple shape or if you experience nipple discharge of any kind.
Be reminded that breast cancer affects men too.
Resources:
American Cancer Society
Remember October 19 is National Mammography Day
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Cancer Institute
Susan G. Komen Foundation
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The primary purpose of developing Vital Health Strategies is to convey to others that their actions can directly impact their well being. One can begin where they are and make small but meaningful changes, that when repeated, can produce significant results. It is my desire that Vital Health Strategies can serve as a leading resource for education, information, products, services and philanthropic contributions with the desire to nurture, motivate and facilitate healthy lifestyles. I have spent a lifetime in all types of health programs including public, private, non-profit, university and corporate. I hope you will find that my philospohy reflects my desire to integrate body, mind, and spirit. Our tagline at Vital Health Strategies is to Imagine, Inspire, Innovate and Inform. I hope you find this is true for every newsletter. I want you to feel free to contact me should you find any information that is inaccurate or ideas you would like to see in the future. Meanwhile, I am wishing you and yours Vital health!
Sincerely,
Henrietta Williams
vitalhealthstrategies.com
Copyright © 2007 Vital Health Strategies™
All materials provided on the Vital Health Strategies website is for educational purposes only. Please consult your physician, mental health professional, or other medical service provider with regard to your specific symptoms or medical condition. |
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