A 34-year-old woman with severe redness, pain, and peeling of her face, shoulders, and arms visited an emergency department. She had spent several hours at an outdoor flea market and developed the worst case of sunburn she had ever suffered.
Read Safety ArticleA doctor prescribed Donnatal (hyoscyamine, atropine, scopolamine, and phenobarbital) for a man who was allergic to one of its ingredients, phenobarbital. Donnatal is used to relax the muscles in the bladder and intestines and to reduce stomach acid. The community pharmacy’s computer system issued a warning about the allergy, but the pharmacist missed seeing the message while entering the prescription into the computer. The doctor also overlooked the allergy even though it was documented in the patient’s chart. The error was discovered by the man while reading the pharmacy provided consumer medication information leaflet, which listed phenobarbital as one of the ingredients. The man did not take the Donnatal.
Read Safety ArticleThis month the American Heart Association (AHA) released a scientific statement that’s sure to get a lot of attention, and for good reason. For the first time, the AHA is warning consumers and healthcare providers about medicines that may cause or worsen heart failure. Heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart muscle weakens over time and loses its ability to pump blood to meet the body's needs. The medicines that may cause or worsen heart failure include prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines as well as herbals.
Read Safety ArticleWhen you start a new medicine, you may get an upset stomach, feel tired, or get a rash. Is this an allergic reaction or just a side effect? It is important to understand the differences between allergies and side effects because they are handled very differently. Allergies can be serious and require immediate medical attention and avoidance of the medicine in the future. If you have side effects and your doctor thinks this is still the best medicine for you, steps can be taken to prevent the unintended side effects of the medicine. But you can still take the medicine.
Read Safety ArticleAllergy season is here again. Pollen, ragweed, pet dander, and dust mites can trigger allergies. Your body produces histamines when it comes in contact with these triggers. Histamines can cause a number of reactions including, a stuffy nose, your nose and eyes to run, itchy eyes, and an itchy rash or hives.
Read Safety ArticleHave you ever heard that drinking grapefruit juice can interfere with certain medicines? This is true. But, do you know why and which medicines you shouldn't combine with grapefruit juice?
Read Safety ArticleConsumers sometimes have allergies to certain medicines. In some cases, the allergy may not be related to the medicinal ingredient in the medicine. Instead, it may involve one of the other ingredients in the medicine, such as a preservative or a dye. These are called “nonmedicinal ingredients.”
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