Walk at work to bring your blood sugar level down

Taking a regular break from work to walk around in the office helps to reduce the body`s levels of glucose and insulin after eating, a new study has revealed.
Though the results of the study, which was conducted by Australian researchers, don`t show if this has a lasting health benefit, experiencing large glucose and insulin spikes after a meal is tied to a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes.
`When we sit our muscles are in a state of disuse and they`re not contracting and helping our body to regulate many of the body`s metabolic processes,` the Daily Mail quoted David Dunstan, the study leader from Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia as saying.

Dunstan and his team have reported previously that people who watch more than four hours of TV a day are likely to have an earlier death. With this study, they experimented with how prolonged sitting could affect responses to food.
After a meal, glucose levels in the blood go up, followed by a rise in insulin, which helps cells use blood sugar for energy or store it. Then, levels in the bloodstream start to go down.
In people with type 2 diabetes, this process is disrupted as the body no longer responds to insulin properly. After a meal, blood sugar and insulin levels spike and remain high.
The scientists looked at 19 overweight adults who didn`t exercise much, asking them to come into a laboratory and sit for seven hours while having their blood sugar and insulin levels sampled hourly.
After the first two hours, they drank a 763-calorie drink that was high in sugar and fat, then sat for another five hours.
Each person went through three days of experiments, with each day separated by a week or two.
On one day, they sat the entire time, only taking breaks to use the bathroom. On another, they broke up the sitting session and took a two-minute break to walk around every 20 minutes following the drink - and on another day, they took similar breaks, but with more vigorous activity.
The days when people sat without interruption resulted in a spike in blood sugar within an hour of the drink from about 90 milligrams per deciliter (mg per dl) to about 144 mg per dl.
On days when they got up every 20 minutes, blood sugar rose from 90 mg per dl to only about 125 mg per dl.
Overall, getting up and engaging in light activity reduced the total rise in glucose by an average of 24 percent, compared to the group that kept sitting. That difference was almost 30 percent with moderate-intensity activity.
The results were similar for insulin. Levels peaked about two hours after the drink, but they rose higher when the people continued sitting compared with moving about.
`What`s shocking to me in these studies is not how good breaks are but how bad sitting is,` Barry Braun, a professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, who was not involved in the study, said.
Braun added that a good rule of thumb is to try and get up about every 15 minutes, even if it`s just to walk around the room.
The study has been published in the journal Diabetes Care.
Source: ANI
by
Akshaya Srikanth
Pharm.D*
Hyderabad, India

Research Animals

Research animals are animals that humans use solely for scientific and product testing. They are used in medical and veterinary investigations and training; in the testing of drugs, cosmetics, and other consumer products; and in educational programs. The Scientific American (August 4, 2004) estimates that as many as one hundred million animals per year (mostly mice and rats) may be used in research, testing, and medical and veterinary training programs.

Living animals used as specimens to test drugs and products, practice medical and surgical procedures, and investigate diseases and bodily systems are called laboratory animals. Laboratory animals often die from these procedures or are euthanized by researchers after they are no longer needed. The plight of laboratory animals has been a major issue for animal rights advocates since the 1970s.

ive animals are used in modern medical research because some of their bodily systems mimic those of humans. This makes them useful test subjects for drugs, vaccines, and other products intended for humans. They are also useful training tools for doctors,pharmacists, surgeons, and veterinarians who need to drug administration, practice medical procedures, such as inserting a catheter, administering anesthesia, or performing operations.

People who support the use of animals in research are passionate in their belief that the benefits to people far outweigh the consequences to animals. They point out the important medical and veterinary advances that have resulted. On the contrary, animal rights activists uniformly condemn this use. The most extreme activists have broken into laboratories, released animals, and physically harassed the researchers involved. Animal welfarists work to minimize the pain these animals experience during testing and to improve their living conditions.

HISTORYEarly Times

Vivisection on animals and humans dates back to at least the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the third and second centuries BC human bodies were vivisected and dissected at the medical school in Alexandria, Egypt, by Herophilus and Erasistratus. Historians believe that more than six hundred living criminals were subjected to vivisection. Human dissection and vivisection were generally forbidden throughout the rest of Egypt and in the Roman Empire because of moral concerns.

Galen (circa 130–200 AD) was a Greek physician who moved to Rome and administered to gladiators and emperors. He frequently practiced vivisection on animals, particularly goats, pigs, monkeys, oxen, and dogs. Even though Galen made some important anatomical discoveries, he relied so heavily on animal models that he developed some misconceptions about human anatomy. However, his teachings formed the basis of Western medical science well into the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church frowned on human dissection and vivisection during this period, meaning that only animals were available for anatomical study, though some adventurous souls still used humans in their research.

Medical advances achieved through animal research, selected years 1796–2003 

Year Advance (type of animal)

*Denotes Nobel Prize-winning work.

Source: "Historically, What Have Been the Tangible Benefits of Animal Research?" in CDC News: Overview of Animals in Scientific Research Fact Sheet, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 16, 2006.

1796 Vaccine for smallpox developed (cow)

1881 Vaccine for anthrax developed (sheep)

1885 Vaccine for rabies developed (dog, rabbit)

1902 Malarial life cycle discovered (pigeon)*

1905 Pathogenesis of tuberculosis discovered (cow, sheep)*

1919 Mechanisms of immunity discovered (guinea pig, horse, rabbit)*

1921 Insulin discovered (dog, fish)*

1928 Pathogenesis of typhus discovered (guinea pig, rat, mouse)*

1929 Vitamins supporting nerve growth discovered (chicken)*

1932 Function of neurons discovered (cat, dog)*

1933 Vaccine for tetanus developed (horse)

1939 Anticoagulants developed (cat)

1942 The Rh factor discovered (monkey)

1943 Vitamin K discovered (rat, dog, chick, mouse)*

1945 Penicillin tested (mouse)*

1954 Polio vaccine developed (mouse, monkey)*

1956 Open heart surgery and cardiac pacemakers developed (dog)

1964 Regulation of cholesterol discovered (rat)*

1968 Rubella vaccine developed (monkey)

1970 Lithium approved (rat, guinea pig)

1973 Animal social and behavior patterns discovered (bee, fish, bird)*

1975 Interaction between tumor viruses and genetic material discovered (monkey, horse, chicken,,  mouse)*

1982 Treatment for leprosy developed (armadillo)

1984 Monoclonal antibodies developed (mouse)*

1990 Organ transplantation techniques advanced (dog, sheep, cow, pig)*

1992 Laproscopic surgical techniques advanced (pig)

1995 Gene transfer for cystic fibrosis developed (mouse, nonhuman primate)

1997 Prions discovered and characterized (hamster, mouse)*

1998 Nitric oxide as signaling molecule in cardiovascular system discovered (rabbit)*

2000 Brain signal transduction discovered (mouse, rat, sea slug)*

2002 Mechanism of cell death discovered (worm)*

2003 Non-invasive imaging methods (MRI) for medical diagnosis developed (clam, rat)

Biomedical Research

The vast majority of research animals are used in biomedical research. Biomedicine is a medical discipline based on principles of the natural sciences, particularly biology and biochemistry.

The NIH maintains the Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP), a database of biomedical research projects that have received funding from federal agencies dating back to 1972. The CRISP database can be searched to find information about the use of animals in federally funded research projects at universities, hospitals, and other research institutions. For example, a search conducted in February 2007 using the search term dogs returned 179 projects in which dogs played a role. Information supplied about each project includes the name of the principal investigator, the name and address of the research institution, the starting and ending dates of the project, the federal agency providing funding, and a description of the project.

DRUG TESTING

According to the FDA, in "The Beginnings: Laboratory and Animal Studies" (January 30, 2006), drug companies typically test new drugs on at least two different animal species to see if they are affected differently. Animal testing is performed to determine specific characteristics, such as:

How much of the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream

Any toxic side effects

Appropriate dosage levels

How the drug is metabolized (broken down) by the body

How quickly the drug is excreted from the body

The results from animal tests tell researchers if and how new drugs should then be tested on humans.

PRODUCT TESTING

Millions of research animals are used to test products intended for industrial and consumer markets in the Worldwide. Product safety testing exposes animals to chemicals to determine factors such as eye and skin irritancy. Common product safety tests conducted with animals include:

Acute toxicity tests determine the immediate effects of chemical exposure. The LD-50 test is an example. In this test animals are exposed to chemicals through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact to determine the concentration necessary to kill 50% of the test group within a specific time period.

Skin and eye irritancy tests determine the effects on skin and eyes of chemical exposure. One example is the Draize eye test. Rabbits are commonly used because they cannot blink and wash out the chemicals.

Subchronic and chronic toxicity tests determine the effects of long-term chemical exposure.

Genetic toxicity tests determine the effects of chemical exposure on reproductive organs.

Birth defects tests determine the effects of chemical exposure on offspring. 

Cancer potential tests determine the potential of chemical exposures for causing cancer

GENETIC ENGINEERING 

Genetic engineering is the scientific manipulation of genetic material. Animals have been the subject of genetic engineering research and experiments for several decades. Transgenic animals are animals that carry a foreign gene that has been deliberately inserted through genetic engineering. They are widely used in biomedical research and pharmaceutical development. Most of these animals are farm animals. Raising these transgenic animals for the cultivation of pharmaceutical products is known as pharming. For example, scientists have pharmed transgenic sheep and goats that produce foreign proteins in their milk. Production of these proteins could have enormous medical and industrial benefits for humans. As of early 2007, pharmed substances were still in the development stage and had not yet been commercialized.

Another growing area of genetic engineering is xenotransplantation. The term xeno comes from the Greek word xenos, meaning "foreign" or "strange." In xenotransplantation organs from animals are transplanted into humans. Research continues on the genetic engineering of pigs so that they can grow organs that will not be rejected by human bodies. Scientists believe that harvesting organs from transgenic pigs could one day solve the human organ shortage that at present exists, saving millions of human lives. The technology is almost to the point of making this possible. Some people consider this to be medical progress, but others see it as another injustice perpetrated against animals for the sake of humans, noting that there would not be an organ shortage if more people were willing to become organ donors.

Cloning is a form of genetic manipulation in which a later-born genetic twin can be produced. In July 1996 the first mammal cloned from adult cells was born, a product of research at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dolly was cloned from an udder cell taken from a six-year-old sheep. She was a fairly healthy clone and produced six lambs of her own. Before she was euthanized by lethal injection on February 14, 2003, Dolly had been suffering from lung cancer and arthritis. An autopsy (postmortem examination) of Dolly revealed that, other than her cancer and arthritis, she was anatomically like other sheep. (See Figure 5.9.) Between 1996 and 2007 other animals were cloned, including sheep, mice, cows, a gaur (an endangered Asian ox), goats, pigs, rabbits, dogs, and cats. Not all the animals have survived, and most have been born with compromised immunity and genetic disorders. Cloning is still new technology, and the success rate is low.

Source: "Research Animals and Animal Rights. 2008.

by

AKSHAYA SRIKANTH

Pharmacotherapy of DIABETES

Insulin is the mainstay of therapy for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Pharmacologic therapy for the management of type 2 diabetes is often necessary to achieve optimal glycemic control when dietary changes alone are not effective. Antihyperglycemic agents can be used as monotherapy or in combination with insulin or other antihyperglycemics. Available agents vary in their mechanism of action and subsequently their side effect profiles differ in regards to risk of hypoglycemia, changes in weight, and other adverse effects. 

The risk of hypoglycemia is greater in patients who are treatment-naïve or whose HbA1c is <8%. Hypoglycemia may be difficult to recognize in the elderly and in those on concomitant β-blocker therapy. Hypoglycemia is more likely to occur when caloric intake is low, after prolonged exercise, after intake of alcohol, or when multiple antihyperglycemic agents are used. During periods of stress (eg, fever, trauma, infection, or surgery) antihyperglycemic dosage requirements may change.

ALPHA-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITORS (eg, acarbose): Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors reversibly inhibit membrane-bound intestinal α-glucosidase as well as α-amylase in the pancreas. This action reduces the enzymatic hydrolysis of starches, oligosaccharides, trisaccharides, and disaccharides to glucose and other monosaccharides to delay glucose absorption at the intestinal brush border and blunt the postprandial rise in plasma glucose.

AMYLIN ANALOGUES/AMYLINOMIMETICS: Pramlintide is a synthetic analog of human amylin used in combination with insulin. Amylin is a neuroendocrine hormone, co-secreted with insulin by pancreatic beta cells in response to food intake. Pramlintide mimics the actions of endogenous amylin. It slows gastric emptying without alteration of overall nutrient absorption and suppresses glucagon secretion, which leads to suppression of endogenous glucose output from the liver. Pramlintide also induces feelings of satiety to reduce caloric intake which may be responsible for the associated reductions in weight. Pramlintide alone does not cause hypoglycemia, but increases the risk of insulin-induced hypoglycemia when co-administered with insulin therapy.

BIGUANIDES: Metformin reduces hepatic glucose production and intestinal glucose absorption. It also improves insulin sensitivity and peripheral glucose uptake and utilization. Metformin differs from other antihyperglycemics (eg, sulfonylureas, insulin secretagogues) in that it does not cause hypoglycemia or hyperinsulinemia and is not associated with weight gain; it may produce weight loss. There is a risk of lactic acidosis in patients treated with metformin, especially in the presence of renal and hepatic dysfunction, thus metformin is contraindicated in patients with renal disease or dysfunction and is not recommended in patients with hepatic disease.

DIPEPTIDYL PEPTIDASE-4 (DPP-4) INHIBITORS: Sitagliptin is a DDP-4 inhibitor that slows the inactivation of the incretin hormones. The predominant incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), are secreted in response to food intake and contribute to glucose homeostasis by promoting insulin synthesis and secretion as well as reducing glucagon secretion and hepatic glucose production. The incretin hormones are, however, rapidly inactivated by DPP-4. Sitagliptin inhibits this enzyme to prolong endogenous incretin activity. Sitagliptin alone does not cause hypoglycemia, but may increase the risk of insulin-induced hypoglycemia when co-administered with sulfonylureas or other insulin secretagogues.

GLUCAGON: Glucagon is an alternative treatment for severe hypoglycemia if IV glucose cannot be used. Glucagon converts liver glycogen to glucose, thereby increasing blood glucose levels. It is only effective in the presence of sufficient liver glycogen and should not be used in states of starvation, adrenal insufficiency, or chronic hypoglycemia. Intravenous glucagon produces increases in blood pressure and tachycardia that generally resolve quickly, but may require therapy in patients with coronary artery disease or pheochromocytoma.

INCRETIN MIMETICS: Exenatide is a synthetic analog of the incretin hormone GLP-1. Like GLP-1, exenatide binds to and activates the GLP-1 receptor. Exenatide enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta-cell, suppresses inappropriately elevated glucagon secretion, and slows gastric emptying . It has also been shown to reduce caloric intake which may be responsible for the associated reductions in weight. Exenatide increases the risk of hypoglycemia when used in combination with sulfonylureas or other insulin secretagogues.

INSULINS: Insulin is used in patients with type 1 diabetes. Insulin is also used in patients with type 2 diabetes who are unable to maintain control of their symptoms either by diet and exercise alone or with the addition of an oral antihyperglycemic agent. Doses should be individualized. Insulin is inactivated if taken orally and is usually given by subcutaneous injection. Insulin preparations are frequently classified by onset, peak, and duration of action.

INSULIN SECRETAGOGUES (eg, nateglinide, repaglinide): Insulin secretagogues stimulate glucose-dependent pancreatic β cell insulin secretion. Similar to the sulfonylureas, these agents induce insulin secretion by blocking ATP-sensitive potassium channels in pancreatic β cells. The β cells then depolarize, resulting in an opening of calcium channels that allows an influx of calcium ions which stimulate insulin secretion. Repaglinide and nateglinide are highly tissue selective with low affinity for heart and skeletal muscle. Like sulfonylureas, insulin secretagogues are associated with a risk of hypoglycemia.

SULFONYLUREAS: Sulfonylureas increase pancreatic β cell sensitivity to glucose. Acute administration of sulfonylureas enhances glucose-dependent pancreatic β cell insulin secretion and may also increase insulin levels by reducing hepatic insulin clearance. Although plasma insulin levels decrease over time with chronic administration, sulfonylureas maintain their antihyperglycemic effect. Sulfonylureas also suppress hepatic glucose production and stimulate release of somatostatin, an inhibitory hormone that slows gastric emptying and suppresses glucagon secretion. Hypoglycemia may occur, especially with longer-acting sulfonylureas, particularly in patients with renal or hepatic insufficiency.

First-generation sulfonylureas (eg, acetohexamide, chlorpropamide) vary considerably in their half-lives. Acetohexamide has a short half life (47 hours) and requires multiple daily dosing whereas chlorpropamide has an extended half life (2448 hours) which can allow for once daily dosing.

Second-generation sulfonylureas (eg, glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide) are about 100 times more potent than first-generation agents. These drugs generally have short-half lives (35 hours), but hypoglycemic effects can last 1224 hours, allowing for once daily dosing. The incidence of hypoglycemia is highest among patients treated with glyburide and lower with glipizide and glimepiride therapy.

THIAZOLIDINEDIONES (eg, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone): Thiazolidinediones increase insulin sensitivity which promotes insulin-dependent glucose disposal and decreases hepatic glucose production. These drugs are potent agonists for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ).Activation of PPARγ receptors modifies the expression of insulin responsive genes that regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Because thiazolidinediones enhance the effects of circulating insulin, these agents require the presence of insulin to produce their antihyperglycemic effects. Thiazolidinediones can cause hepatoxicity and should not be used in patients with liver disease. These agents are also associated with fluid retention, which can cause or exacerbate congestive heart failure.

by

Akshaya Srikanth

Pharm.D Internee

Hyderabad, India

Retail Meat Linked to Urinary Tract Infections: Strong New Evidence

Chicken sold in supermarkets, restaurants and other outlets may place young women at risk of urinary tract infections (UTI), McGill researcher Amee Manges has discovered. Samples taken in the Montreal area between 2005 and 2007, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the University of Guelph, provide strong new evidence that E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria originating from these food sources can cause common urinary tract infections.

Eating contaminated meat or food does not directly lead to a UTI. While some E. coli such as O157:H7 can cause serious intestinal disease, these E. coli bacteria can live in the intestine without causing problems. In women however, the bacteria can travel from the anus to the vagina and urethra during sex, which can lead to the infection.

The research team is also investigating whether livestock may be passing antimicrobial-resistant bacteria on to humans. This is due to the use of antibiotics to treat or prevent disease in the animals and to enhance their growth, which may lead them to develop resistance to the medication. When animals are slaughtered and their meat is processed for sale, the meat can be contaminated with these bacteria.

"These studies might open the door to discussions with policymakers," Manges said, "about how antibiotics are used in agriculture in Canada. It's certainly something we need to continue studying."

The public should not be alarmed. Manges advises that consumers should cook meat thoroughly and prevent contamination of other foods in the kitchen. Although some infections caused by these E. coli are resistant to some antibiotics, the infections can still be treated. Manges hopes that understanding how these bacteria are transmitted will help reduce infections. She also hopes more attention will be focused on how meat is produced in Canada. Her research is part of a broader study concerning food safety and is financed through funding by the Government of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with the Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, specifically the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance, and also the Division de l'inspection des aliments, Ville de Montréal.

Source: Science Daily

by

Akshaya Srikanth

Pharm.D Internee

Hyderbad, India

Pharm.D in INDIA

 The Union Ministry of Health and Pharmacy council of India (PCI) have introduced a SIX-Year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) course. 4 1/2 years will be academic session, and 6 months clinical oriented project and clerkship. Final year is completely bound to Internship in hospital posted at different departments like 2 months in Pediatrics, 2 months Gyn & Obs, 2 months (OPTION in selection of Clinicals interested) and 6 months in General Medicine department. This provides intensive training in pharmacy practice & clinical pharmacy services. Students can enroll for this course after 10+2, or Post Baccalaureate, in which cases the duration of course would be reduced to 3 years. Only institutes running B.Pharmacy programs, approved under section 12 of the Pharmacy Act will be running Pharm.D programs. Pharm.D is the official course of PCI and AICTE had no role to play in Pharm.D. 

Eligibility: Students who had passed Intermediate with Bi.P.C/M.P.C or D.Pharm are eligible for admission to the Pharm.D course.

ENTRANCE: State wide examination. In A.P: EAMCET for 6 years Pharm.D and PGCET for the 3 years Pharm.D Post Baccalaureate. 

Role of Pharm.D

Pharm.D is a 360 degree of Pharmacy and mainly hospital oriented, as evident from the fact that it's a compulsion that colleges offering the course must have an adjoined hospital of minimum 300 bedded. 

Curriculum Plan:

Pharm.D: The duration of the course shall be six academic years (five years of study and one year of Internship or Residency and full time with each academia year spread over a period of not less than two hundred working days. The period of six years duration divided into two phases.

Phase I: Consisting of First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth academic year.

Phase II:  Consisting of Internship or residency training during sixth year involving posting in specialty units  It is a phase of training wherein a student is exposed to actual clinical pharmacy or pharmacy practice services.

and acquires skill under supervision of doctors and pharmacy practice professionals. So that they can become capable of functioning independently. 

Colleges offering Pharm.D in India: 

For the complete list of college offering Pharm.D in each state please visit:

 Pharm.D Colleges in India.

Eligibility of promotion to next year: All students who appear for all the subjects and passed the first year annual examination are eligible for promotion to the second year. This pattern will be followed in every year. However, Failure in more than TWO subjects shall debar from promotion to the next year classes. 

Internship: Internship is a phase of training wherein a student is expected to conduct actual practice of pharmacy and health care and acquires skills under the supervision so that the intern may become capable of functioning independently.

Career opportunities:

The role of pharmacist had changed drastically over the years with the constant expansion of healthcare  programmes and increasing need of quality of pharmaceutical care known as "ERA OF MODERN PHARMACIST".

The growth of this sectors has thrown up diverse career options that can include Community Pharmacy, Geriatric Pharmacy, Home care Pharmacy, Government agencies, Managed care, Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmacoepidemiology, Nuclear Pharmacy, Evidence based Pharmacy,Pharmacovigilance, Clinical trials, Regulatory affairs, Brand Management, Specialty Pharmacists, Drug development process and Pharmacy education apart from the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Source: CJournal

Thanking you 

B.Akshaya Srikanth 

Pharm.D Internee

Kadapa, A.P

Why Your Medications Matters ?

Take the medications prescribed

Taking medication exactly as your doctor recommends is not always as simple as it may seem. And, in fact, it can be quite complex. There are many factors that will make you either more or less likely to take your medication. Some of these factors include:

• How easy it is to take the medication
• How many times a day you have to take the medication 
• Your perception of the benefit of the medication
• Your perception of the risks of not taking the medication
• The risks of taking the medication including having side effects
• The total number of pills you take in a day
• How well you perceive the medication to be working
• The cost of the medication

Even if you decide you want to take a medication, it is not always easy to remember to take it. After all, we are humans, not elephants. It can be a challenge to make taking medications as part of your daily routine, but before you know it will become as natural as brushing your teeth or having a meal.

Taking medications as prescribed is important. Using medications the right way will help you to:

• Get the full benefits of your medication. If you take only half the prescribed dose of the medication, you will not get the full benefits of the medication that your doctor recommended.
• Avoid unwanted side effects. If you take more medication than recommended because you want more of the benefits of the medication, you are at an increased risk of developing side effects. Furthermore, you may not get additional benefits.
• Avoid medication conflicts. Some medications should not be taken together. If they are, the effect of one or both of the medications may be increased or decreased, leading to potential problems.

The consequences of not taking medications properly 

Not taking medications properly leads to unnecessary hospital admissions, illness, and even deaths. It also costs the health care system millions of rupees or dollars every year. Some interesting statistics include the following: 

1. 10% of hospital admissions result directly from not taking medications as recommended 
2. About one-third of seniors admitted to the hospital had a history of not taking their medications properly 
3. Not taking medications properly was a factor in 20% of preventable adverse reactions to medications
4. Adverse reactions to medications may be the one of the top 10 leading causes of death

However, there is a lot you can do to help take your medication as prescribed. Speak to your pharmacist to learn more about how to take your medication and what to do if you are having trouble using it as prescribed.

Misusing your medications?

Unfortunately many people do not take their medications correctly. Some interesting statistics include:

• More than 50% of people do not take their medication as prescribed.
• 20% of people take less medication than prescribed by their doctor.
• 10% of people do not take any medication at all, even after purchasing the medication.
• 10% of people do not get their prescription filled at all (for some health conditions, this figure reaches as high as 50%).
• 30% of people stop taking a medication before they are scheduled to.

by

Akshaya Srikanth

Pharm.D Internee

Hyderabad, India