Prescription Medication 101
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More and more women are living longer heart-healthy lives thanks to an array of new and improved drugs and other interventions to help manage heart disease and related risk factors.
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| Aspirin | Helps prevent heart attacks and blood clotting; discuss proper dosage with your doctor in order to avoid stomach ulcers.
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| ACE Inhibitor | Stops production of a chemical that makes blood vessels narrow; used for high blood pressure and heart muscle that has been damaged.
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| Beta-blocker | Reduces how hard the heart must work; used for high blood pressure, chest pain, and to prevent another heart attack.
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| Calcium Channel Blocker
| Relaxes blood vessels; used for high blood pressure. |
| Blood Cholesterol Lowering Agent | Decreases bad (LDL) cholesterol and/or increases good (HDL) cholesterol.
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| Digitalis | Makes the heart contract harder and can slow some fast heart rhythms.
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| Diuretic | Decreases fluid in the body; used for high blood pressure.
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| Nitrate | Relaxes blood vessels and reduces chest pain. |
Helpful Tips
Keeping up with your prescription medicines can be a challenge. Follow these tips to make sure you stay on top of your prescription medicine regimen:
- Keep a list of all your prescription medicines and their daily dosage.
- Give a copy of the list to each doctor you visit.
- Give added copies of the list to your family members.
- Don't take more or less of the medicines than your doctor prescribes.
- Don't skip a dose or take less frequently the medicines as prescribed.
- Don't stop taking the medicines too soon or when you begin to feel better.
- Take all your prescription medicines in daylight if possible to avoid mix-ups.
- Wear your reading glasses when reading a prescription medicine container label. Also, ask the pharmacist for a large-type prescription medicine information sheet when filling your prescription.
- Hide all your prescription medicines out of sight and in a safe place when the grandchildren come to visit or when any strangers will be in you home -- to perform repairs or for a social event. (It's amazing how often prescription medicines are stolen).
- Schedule a yearly comprehensive medicine check-up with your doctor or healthcare professional to discuss: whether to continue each over-the-counter medicine, vitamin, herbal remedy, and prescription medicine; possible duplicate medicines; potential harmful interactions; and any changes in dosages
Online Pharmacies
You can now obtain new and refill prescription medicines over the Internet. New Web sites are offering personalized services with a pharmacist available by E-mail 24 hours a day. Also, to guard against adverse drug reactions when multiple medicines or remedies are taken, the sites ask people to provide information about everything they are taking, including: foods, medicines, over the counter and herbal remedies, and even caffeine. If a harmful interaction is identified, the patient will receive an E-mail or call from the pharmacist.
To ensure your safety, use a trusted and reliable online pharmacy. Here are some of the major online pharmacies:
Drug Store
Source: Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Research Association
