News Briefs
News Briefs
OTC drug education aimed toward consumers
Pharmacists have teamed up with a pharmaceutical manufacturer to teach over-the-counter (OTC) medication users about potential drug-to-drug interactions. It’s also a handy source of information for your hospital pharmacists who need to caution patients and their families about the implications of mixing prescription and nonprescription remedies.
The initiative is in anticipation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirement of "Drug Facts" labeling of OTC medications, effective as of next year. Approximately 55,000 community pharmacists are participating in the "Partnership for Self-care" project which provides free consumer and professional education materials.
The consumer brochure, "What You Should Know About Over-the-Counter Medicines and Drug Interactions," goes several steps beyond the generic cautions to consult providers and tell them about all OTC and prescription drug use. Specifically, it defines three types of interactions and gives everyday examples of each: Drug-drug interaction describes the ill effects of aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) combinations; drug-food interaction, the tendency of grapefruit juice to increase blood levels of certain medications; and drug-disease interaction, the potential of decongestants to raise blood pressure.
Fact sheet offers lifesaving advice
A fact sheet, "Frequently Asked Questions About Drug-Drug Interactions Involving Over-the-Counter Medications," offers well-tempered advice about the potential severity of drug-drug interactions. While conceding that the worst case is a deadly interaction, it says, "Some of the more common symptoms of drug-drug interactions include nausea or stomach upset, headache, heartburn, and dizziness." It also warns of possible interactions among OTCs.
The Partnership for Self-Care is sponsored by the American Pharmaceutical Association in Washington, DC, and McNeil Consumer Healthcare, based in Fort Washington, PA. McNeil is the manufacturer of Tylenol and Motrin pain relievers. To download the consumer information material, go to: www.pharmacyandyou.org.
Tape captures tragedy of drug errors for clinicians
A nine-minute documentary depicts the wreckage medication errors leave in the hearts and careers of health care professionals. The video, "Beyond Blame," features the comments of four people who, for the rest of their lives, will mourn the death of a 43-year-old cardiac patient. One is a relative, the others medical professionals. For the latter, medical career opportunities are all but gone.
The video was produced by Bridge Medical of Solana Beach, CA, a creator of patient safety solutions for health care systems. Since its 1998 release, 11,000 copies of the tape have been shipped to health care systems nationwide.
While the documentary is not intended to be solution-oriented, it does remind clinicians that the harm from patient injuries is as real to their personal well-being as to those entrusted to their care.
To order "Beyond Blame" for a $5.00 dubbing, shipping and handling fee, visit the educational Web site, www.mederrors.com; or contact Bridge Medical Inc., 120 S. Sierra, Solana Beach, CA 92075-1811. Telephone: (858) 350-0100. Web site: www.bridgemedical.com. (For information about a medication safety barcode scanning device, see TechWatch, in QI/TQM, June 2000, p. 72.)
Fewer teen births, higher prenatal care rates
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in Hyattsville, MD, reports that birth rates among 15- to 19-year-olds dropped 2% in 1998, to 51.1 per 1,000 teens in that age group. Overall, the teen birth rate declined by 18% from 1991 to 1998. The proportion of women beginning prenatal care in the first trimester rose for the ninth consecutive year, to 82.8% in 1998. That represents a 10% rise during the 1990s. The figures are part of the report, "Births: Final Data for 1998."
Cigarette smoking during pregnancy declined to 12.9% in 1998, continuing a trend first observed in 1989. However, smoking by pregnant teenagers continued to increase in 1998, particularly for non-Hispanic black teens. "This increase in tobacco use among pregnant teens is very disturbing. It puts a troubling spotlight on two of our biggest national concerns — teen pregnancy and tobacco use among young people. . ." notes Jeffrey P. Koplan, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the umbrella agency of the NCHS.
For more information on birth trends, contact the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Data Services, 6525 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782-2003. Telephone: (301) 458-4636. Web site: www.cdc.gov/nchs, then click on "News Releases."
Stroke patients recover more rapidly at home
A study sponsored by the Dallas based American Heart Association shows that shorter hospital stays for stroke victims might be in their best interest. The results, published in the journal Stroke, explains, "A major component of stroke management is aimed at facilitating functional independence and community reintegration. It would, therefore, be logical that the sooner the patient can be returned home following stroke, the sooner the reintegration process can commence."
Prolonged stay may hinder healing
On average, the total length of stay for the earlier-discharge group was 10 days, compared to 16 for the group receiving "usual" stroke management. The investigators go so far as to suggest that prolonged hospitalization may be counterproductive by fostering dependency, social isolation, and immobility. In-home support and rehabilitative services are critical to recovery, however.
The findings emerge from a randomized trial involving 114 patients who required rehabilitation services and had a caregiver at home. Results were reported on conditions three months following the stroke. The primary outcome measure was the Physical Health component of the SF-36. The home care interventions consisted of a four-week, tailor-made home program of rehabilitation and nursing services.
(See: Mayo NE, Wood-Dauphinee S, Cote R, et al, There’s no place like home: An evaluation of early supported discharge for stroke. Stroke 2000; 31:1,016-1,023.)
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