National Council on Patient Information and Education

The National Council on Patient Information and Education is a long time patient safety coalition and has been working to advance the safe, appropriate use of medicines through enhanced communication since 1982.

Currently about two of every three doctor visits results in a prescription, and about 3.5 billion of these prescriptions are filled yearly. However, most prescription information is not written in easy to understand language. This National Council provides information about the use of medicines: why we need them, how to take them, and when to take them.  They believe that if one understands medications, both prescription and over the counter, they will be used effectively to treat conditions and diseases.

 The NCPIE website provides information for consumers, special populations of consumers, and those health care workers who work with patients directly.

Information for medicine users includes

• How to talk about prescriptions
• Wise Use of Dietary and Herbal Supplements
• Using Antibiotics Appropriately
• Safe Storage and Disposal of Medication – New
• Reducing Medication Errors

• Special Population Topics as Older Adults, Women , and Safeguarding Your Medicines

Educational Resources (some are free, others are available for purchase) include

• “Make Notes & Take Notes” to Avoid Medication Errors (B&W)
• Prescription Pain Medicines: What You Need to Know
• Your Medicine: Play It Safe

http://www.talkaboutrx.org/

Since 1982, the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) has been working to “Educate Before You Medicate”. Over 3.5 billion prescriptions are dispensed yearly, yet easy to understand information about prescription drugs is hard to find. The NCPIE website provides information for consumers, special populations of consumers, and those health care workers who work with patients directly. The “Educational Resources” link has both free and pay publications. The free pamphlets, such as “Priorities & Approaches for Improving Prescription Medicine Use by Older Adults” and “Children and America’s Other Drug Problem: Guidelines for Improving Prescription Medicine Use Among Children and Teenagers” can be downloaded, and even previewed before downloading. The pay pamphlets have to be ordered, and some of them are in both English and Spanish. The “For Medicine Users” section is dedicated to the issues that represent a majority of inquiries to NCPIE. This section includes links to resources on talking about prescriptions, information about specific medicines, use of non-prescription medicines, and much more. [KMG]

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Generic Drug Roundup: December 2010

From the US Food and Drug Administration Web Page

Each year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves many generic drugs that treat a wide variety of conditions and help consumers save money.

Significant FDA approvals of generic medications are listed below.

Be aware that the notes included with the description of each drug listed below do not include all warnings, side effects, or use instructions associated with these products. You should read the medication guide, when available, and speak with a health care professional regarding any medication you are taking, have been prescribed, or are considering taking

• Anastrozole Tablets
• Venlafaxine Hydrochloride extended-release capsules
• Aztreonam (for Injection)
• Enoxaparin Sodium Injection
• Losartan Potassium Tablets
• Generic Drugs: Vital Facts
  • Generic drugs are identical to their brand-name equivalents in dosage, safety, strength, quality, performance characteristics, intended use, and the way they’re administered to patients.
  • On average, the cost of a generic drug is 80 to 85 percent lower than the brand-name product.
  • New drugs are patented to protect the investments of the manufacturers that develop them. As patents or other periods of exclusivity on new drugs expire, manufacturers—including firms that did not develop the drugs—can seek FDA approval to sell generic versions.

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-
regulated products.

For More Information

• Facts and Myths about Generic Drugs
• Understanding Generic Drugs
• Drug Approval Reports by Month