Articles Index
Black Box Warnings
Black box warnings, also known as black label warnings or boxed warnings, are named for the black border surrounding the text of the warning that appears on the package insert and label that describe the medication. Black box warnings are the most serious medication warnings required by the FDA.
Understanding Your Doctor's Prescription
Your doctor uses abbreviations (based on Latin words) that tell your pharmacist which medication to give you and directions on how to use that medication. Learning to read a prescription immediately after your doctor writes it will help make sure that you know what medication you are getting. It will also give you a chance to ask questions about your doctor’s instructions.
How to Use Oral Medications
The most common way people take medications is orally (by mouth). Oral medications can be swallowed, chewed or placed under the tongue to dissolve.
Ask Dr. Mike About Your Medications
Michael Bihari, MD – known to his friends and colleagues as Dr. Mike – answers readers’ questions about medications. Topics include everything from medication side effects to cost of medications and medication safety issues.
How Drugs Work in Your Body
There are more than 8,000 medications available by prescription or over the counter. Medications work in your body in a variety of ways. How drugs work depends on a number of factors. Learn more in this overview of how drugs work.
Side Effects - What You Need to Know
Some side effects may be severe, while others may be mild and of little concern. Learn about the most common drug side effects, what to ask your healthcare provider, and where to find specific information about your drugs.
Saving Money on Prescription Drugs: Advice from the FDA
Advice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on how to save money on prescription medications. The FDA recommends first talking with your healthcare provider about less costly alternatives such as a different drug in the same drug class or switching to a generic medication.
Find Your Drug: Using Drugs A to Z
Drugs A to Z has detailed information on several thousand prescription and over-the-counter medications. The guide can be used to find information on drug interactions and side effects, and includes a tool to help identify pills.
Grapefruit Juice: Is It Safe With Your Drug?
Americans drink more than 164 million gallons of grapefruit juice every year. However, more than 50 prescription and OTC drugs interact with grapefruit juice with the risk of serious side effects. Find out about why grapefruit juice causes this problems and things to do to prevent dangerous side effects.
Drug Interactions: Reducing Your Risk
Drug interactions occur when one drug interferes with another drug that you are taking or when your medications interact with what you eat or drink. Drug interactions can make your medications less effective or they can cause dangerous side effects.
OxyContin® Abuse: An Introduction
OxyContin®, a widely used prescription pian killer, is a popular street drug because of its ability to induce a quick heroin-like high. Criminal activities related to the drug have increased 75% in recent years.
Medication Safety for Seniors
Many seniors have chronic health conditions and take multiple medications. This high use of prescription drugs combined with age-related infirmities is related to the increasing number of adverse drug events.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Introduction
Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine provides consumers and health professionals with information about CAM therapies that are safe and effective.
Clinical Trials: An Introduction
Clinical trials (also called medical research and research studies) are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective.
Where to Get Help When Choosing a Medicare Part D Drug Plan
If you are a Medicare beneficiary, one of the most confusing and difficult tasks is deciding which Medicare Part D drug plan is the right one for you. And, after you have been enrolled, you may, at some time during the year, hit the dreaded coverage gap.
How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet
According to the Pew Institute, 80% of Internet users have searched online for health information and 40% of users are going online to find information about prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Knowing how to evaluate the Web sites you look at will help to assure that you find drug information that is current and accurate.
Medications for Type 2 Diabetes
Along with diet, exercise, and weight control, people with type 2 diabetes may need to take oral medications and insulin. People with type 2 diabetes also are at high risk of heart disease, especially if they have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Get access to resources about medications for type 2 diabetes.
How to Use Your Inhaler
Inhalers are used for the treatment of asthma and COPD. Get access to information about how to use various types of inhalers.