BACKGROUND The objectives of this study were to investigate older adults' knowledge of prescription drug safety and interactions with alcohol, and to identify pharmacists' willingness to disseminate prescription drug safety information to older adults. METHODS The convenience sample consisted of 48 older adults aged 54-89 years who were recruited from a local pharmacy and who completed survey...

In recent years, prescription drug expenditures in the United States have increased rapidly. In 2003, spending on prescription medications totaled $179.2 billion dollars, or approximately 11% of national health expenditures [Smith, C., Cowan, C., Sensenig, A., Catlin, A., the Health Accounts Team. (2005). Health spending growth slows in 2003. Health Affairs, 24 (1) 185-194]. In response to rapi...

 Background: As a major responsibility, health authorities must control rational prescription of drugs (RUD). A way to analyze the regional status of drug prescription is the WHO’s recommended indices. The purpose of the study was to determine the status of drug prescriptions in pharmacies of healthcare centers under the authority of Tehran University of Medical Sciences based on the WHO indice...

OBJECTIVE This study augments existing literature by examining characteristics associated with prescription drug utilization and makes an in-depth assessment of family prescription drug economic burden within the United States. The objective of this study was to examine differences in prescription drug use and prescription drug characteristics among elderly and nonelderly families. METHODS A ...

BACKGROUND Recognising and dealing with patients who seek drugs for nonmedical purposes can be a difficult problem in general practice. 'Prescription shoppers' and patients with chronic nonmalignant pain problems are the main people who constitute this small but problematic group. The main drugs they seek are benzodiazepines and opioids. OBJECTIVE To provide data on current trends in prescrip...

Two ad hoc surveys on drugs prescribed in Reykjavik during November 1972 and November 1974 were made. After the first survey a publicity campaign was launched and doctors were encouraged to change their prescribing habits; only minor changes in docotors' prescribing habits were noticed, although it is realised that this type of programme will require a longer period to prove its effectiveness. ...

This article provides an overview on prescription drug abuse and highlights a number of related legislative bills introduced during the 112th Congress in response to this growing epidemic. Prescription drug abuse has emerged as the nation's fastest growing drug problem. Although prescription drugs have been used effectively and appropriately for decades, deaths from prescription pain medicine i...

The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) created Medicare Part D, a voluntary prescription drug benefit program. The benefit is a government subsidized prescription drug benefit within Medicare. This article focuses on the development of the prescription drug risk-adjustment model used to adjust payments to reflect the health status of plan enrollees.

The misuse and abuse of controlled substances, especially those containing opiates, by the general public and in patients suffering with chronic pain is a problem attracting nationwide attention. This fact is reinforced by multiple congressional committees with jurisdiction over the epidemic, numerous hearings conducted by various committees, and the focus the administration. The United States ...