How To Not Die From Prescription Drugs

No matter whose statistics you believe, there are more than 100 thousand people a year dying from drug overdoses, interactions, and errors.

The bottom line is people lie. They stash drugs and find things in dumpsters and tell me with great pride they know the best for their bodies and think marijuana is harmless when it isn’t.

Every citizen should be an HHP. “Human Health Protector.” Don’t worry about “holistic” or “green” or not, because modern medicine can and does save lives. Pharmaceuticals have increased human lifespan. And lots of natural, alternative medicine has, too.

That doesn’t mean the system works. The system is prey to profit margin increases, ethical or not, errors of humans and computers, and a maximization of drug prescriptions as solutions for problems that don’t need them.

1. Start by befriending the “little people.” Those who guard your health. Doctors, if they have time to say “hello.” But it is mostly nurses and pharmacists and their assistants who will give you the information you need to say alive. Value them.

As the system has become more impersonal, and angry and rude public has angered these last human vestige of a system that might have first worked, but now does not. You can achieve priceless miracles simply by being polite.

2. Choose a personal pharmacist and a personal pharmacy. If you travel, a national chain is best, so prescriptions can move with you.

I mean personal. Ask about their family and life and experiences and love them because they are your lifeline.

This, of course, means that you fill all of your prescriptions only at that pharmacy. Hopefully, you can get any over-the-counters (non-prescription drugs) there, too.

The first thing you want is a computer printout of your drug history, as far back as you can go. Note drugs that have made you ill and you no longer take. That way you can stop somebody from giving them to you again.

You will want a separate list of everything you are taking right now. Both generics and brand names.

Then tell your friendly pharmacist that you have heard over 750 thousand people a year in the USA die from drug-drug interactions. You know how clever he (or she) is and would love them to check drug-drug interactions for them on the internet.

Include any naturals, herbals, or over the counter medicines that you use regularly.

I mean it. Everything. I have had patients get in trouble by using too much aspirin or Tylenol.

A lot of people with questionable credentials are trying to make money by selling you things that do not necessarily work.

If they do it for you, store the results preciously; make sure you have the name of the person who did it for you, and the dates.

Pharmacist’s databases are generally updated more frequently than those available to the public. I would ask for a list every few months if things are stable and every time you add a new drug if they are not.

Some pharmacies will deliver this sort of documents straight to a telephone or email; just check against your bottles for accuracy.

3. The other thing you need to know is what diagnoses you are being treated for, exactly. Get them written out by a doctor, even on a piece of stationery or a prescription pad. If he, she has not got the time to explain them, ask your nurse.

The internet is a fantastic resource. Whatever you have, you are not the only one who has it. Find out the resources that have helped others in your region.

Many problems that are normally treated by drugs can be treated by other means. People are really trained to ask for drugs. Painful illness, for example, can sometimes be treated with pretty minor surgical procedures, various personal electrical devices, or even certain kinds of psychotherapy. Just ask.

In a system that cares for money more than lives, nobody I know seems to know how to change it from within to make it right.

The best thing I can figure out to do is to educate people and help them fight for themselves.