Caregivers Primer

Drug Interactions

Just a quick post today.  I found a great site for anyone taking multiple medications.

First, be sure your tell your doctor about the medications you already take, the over the counter (OTC) medications you take on a regular or even occasional basis (from vitamins to Tylenol (c) for a headache, and even any herbal medications you take. 

I am currently compiling a booklet on drug interactions and I'm seeing some scary things when it comes to interactions that can increase or decrease the effect of a prescription drug, or even make it deadly.  The booklet will be reviewed by a registered pharmacist before it is published and ready for sale. 

Please, if you have any questions at all, check with your doctor or pharmacist. 

Tonight, my mother asked about taking one of her regular pain medications, Tramadol, with medication for her neuropathy, Lyrica.  I used this site to determine the interaction:  http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

There is a disclaimer that you must agree to, but then you can enter 2 or more drugs and find out if you should be concerned about mixing them.  If you have any questions, contact your doctor or pharmacist for clarification before taking the medications. 

Remember, doctors today are often rushed.  Some do not go back and verify what medications you are already taking before adding something new.  It is up to you to be an involved patient or caregiver and make sure the doctor has all the information they need to give you the best care possible.  Check the page "Medical History Example" for details.  If you wish, you can write your medical history and print out just the medications section to take with you on each doctor's visit so you have all the names and dosages of what you take handy for the doctor.  (HINT: Before each appointment, be sure to mark any medications you need refills for so you can show it to the doctor.)

Be well everyone...

Until next time,

Kathy

Warning of Bank Scam

Today's thought concerns security and identity theft scams.  I got one just today.

The term "phishing" is a way for these criminals to lure you to a fraudulent web site on the pretext that you need to verify your account information, then they use that information to steal from you.  They hope they can scare you into thinking you will lose access to your account if you don't follow their instructions. 

The problem is that older people, especially those who aren't computer savvy, or are beginning to have memory or other problems like Alzheimer's, can easily be fooled by these scams.  It's up to family members to keep our parents and loved ones information about these scams to protect their identity and savings.

The scam email I received actually claimed to be from the bank's fraud detection department and had a logo that was very close to the real one.  Fortunately, the scammers didn't have English as a first language and made some obvious mistakes.  Once was a word with a capital letter in the middle of a sentence.  Another was the term "phishing" spelled as "fishing." 

I also knew from dealing with similar scams related to eBay and PayPal, that anything authentic would have my name or some other specific identifying opening, not "Dear Account Holder."  I was suspicious enough about the email to contact the bank and was told where to forward the email to the real bank fraud division so they could trace the source and shut it down.  Check with your own bank about where to send these dangerous emails.   

The following information was sent to me by the bank to help identify frauds.  I thought I would pass it along. 

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Stay safe from Phishing: Easy clues to help you keep your personal information secure.

The main goal of a phishing email is to get you to a site where you will provide your personal information. With these basic, but powerful, clues, you can easily recognize the threat and ensure the safety of your identity and finances.

1. Does the email ask you to go to a website and verify personal information? We won't ask you to verify your personal information in response to an email.

2. What is the tone of the mail? Most phish emails convey a sense of urgency by threatening discontinued service or information loss if you don't take immediate action.

3. What is the quality of the email? Many phish emails have misspellings, bad grammar, or poor punctuation.

4. Are the links in the email valid? Deceptive links in phishing emails look like they are to a valid site, but deliver you to a fraudulent one. Many times you can see if the link is legitimate by just moving your mouse over the link.

5. Is the email personalized with your name and applicable account information? Many phish emails use generic salutations and generic information (e.g. "Dear Customer" or "Dear Account Holder") instead of your name.

6. What is the sender's email address? Many phish emails come from an email address not from the company represented in the email.

7. When in doubt, type it out. If you suspect an email to be phishing, don't click on any links in the email. Type the valid address directly into your web browser.

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Be safe and be sure your family is safe as well.

Take care,

Kathy Frost