#MedicationMatters

[vcarepharmacyy]

Simvastatin is a commonly prescribed medication belonging to the statin class, primarily used to manage elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood. Administered in a dosage of 40 mg, Simvastatin functions by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, a key player in the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver. By impeding this enzyme's activity, Simvastatin effectively reduces the production of cholesterol, leading to a decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol levels.

[queerlittleshop]

Next month I'm branching out from all the queer stuff and into another huge part of my life and identity. Mental health. I am diagnosed with: BPD, depression, anxiety and social phobia and OCD. And while not all of these dx's are in the same state they were in my twenties, they are still very much part of my life and a bigger part of my past. I'm very interested and invested in mental health and how queer people are interlaced. How being affirmed improves the mental health of trans and queer people dramatically. About children and their mental health. I always wanted Queer Little Shop to be more than just a shop and I'm working on updating old resource lists I have. Don't worry queer shit and memes are here to stay. But I hope you join me on this journey. Next month expect badges, stickers and some other stuff. Reach out to me here or @queerlittlefamily if you're struggling. I'm a good listener, and if I can't help I can point you in the right direction. #MentalHealth #mentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthmatters #MentalIllness #Depression #Anxiety #SelfHarm #Medication #EndMedIcationShaming #HaveYouTookYourMedsToday #MedicationMatters #Therapy #QueerMentalHealth #lgbtqshop #QueerOwnedShop #QueerOwned #ShopQueer #ShopQueerAllYear #LGBTMentalHealth #LGBTQMentalHealth #WelshShop #mentalhealthrecovery #OCD #BPD #Bipolar #TransMentalHealth #NonBinaryMentalHealth https://www.instagram.com/p/CQtlUO0BnqE/?utm_medium=tumblr

[kyndalr-blog]

Medication Matters

As Erwin Denim Days is quickly approaching, Team Adherence has been reminded of medication matters. While working on our plans for October 1, 2016, much progress has been made in preparing a skit and flyers to promote our presence at this event. One of the challenges we have faced so far is that with planning events such as this one, a lot of time is spent waiting. Channeling information, getting approval and making improvements is something that takes time, it is not often that we have direct and complete answers as soon as questions are asked. In considering this from a public health perspective, it has been a reminder of the many challenges we face in the field.

Public health focuses on population health, doing the greatest good for the largest amount. Rather than being a quick fix where everyone takes a miracle pill to fix their ailments, addressing concerns such as improved nutrition, adequate exercise, poverty, preparedness and even medication adherence, there are a multitude of wicked problems that occur. From identifying the root cause of the problems, to addressing them on a large scale, making impact on individuals, to then improve the population health is often not a technical problem. These issues must be targeted on a community based level and must be adaptable so to not create a boomerang effect, further increasing the burden.

When we take a look at this as a team focused on medication adherence, we have identified many contributing causes of non-adherence that are concerns nationwide. Overpacked schedules, lack of transportation, forgetfulness, undesirable side effects, all can be contributing factors for why patient’s do not pick-up, take and refill their medications as prescribed. Understanding these challenges, we have decided to focus our efforts on providing attendees at Erwin Denim Days with two main tools, “Ask Me 3” cards and “Script Your Future” medication trackers.

Placing these tools in the attendees hands at Erwin Denim Days, we hope to encourage community members about the need to improve communication with their providers. By encouraging this communication, it allows patient’s to take an active role in their healthcare so that they understand the importance of their adherence to treatments for their personal medical problems. When patient’s have a greater understanding of the need for treatment modalities and the negative repercussions of not adhering to these, there is a greater likelihood that they will adhere to their treatments.

In preparing for these conversations with attendees of Denim Days, our preceptor Rob started the beginning of our meeting on Tuesday, going around and having each of us present our “30 second elevator pitch” with the “Ask Me 3” cards. Some of the takeaways we noted were: introduction of ourselves and that we were from Campbell University’s Public Health program, asking a question such as, “Have you ever walked out of an appointment with your physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner and still had questions about your diagnosis”, and to briefly describe the information on the card. The more we talked about the cards with one another, the more comfortable we all came with explaining the purpose of the cards and their importance.

I also had the opportunity to write the skit for our stage time at Erwin Denim Days and one key thing we wanted to include in it was a catchy example of why medication adherence is important. Inspiration from our skit came from a youtube video about a college student who had forgotten to take her medication for her ADHD and in not doing so, she could not concentrate on her activities during the day. In this example, there is a physical and evident manifestation of not taking the medication in how it changes the way the individual acts during the day. Though this is the case for this individual, most individuals do not notice this same outward change when they do not take their medication. We hope that even though this is the case, it will make individuals consider one of the questions on the “Ask Me 3” cards that states “What will happen if I do not take my medication?”

Though we all would like to think we can change the world, Rob had helped us to understand that even small efforts and conversations can amount to a big difference for individuals. We may not be able to change everyone’s perception about the importance of taking their medications, but we can at least give them tools as reminders to consider the importance and need of taking an active role in their health and wellness. Our flyers and skit are finalized, so we can’t wait to CU at Erwin Denim Days!

[vcarepharmacyy]

Valsartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) commonly prescribed to manage hypertension and heart failure. At a dosage of 160 mg, Valsartan exerts its therapeutic effects by blocking the action of angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. By inhibiting the angiotensin II receptor, Valsartan helps dilate blood vessels, reduce blood pressure, and alleviate the workload on the heart.