Tips On Steps To Ensure Patients Do
Not Miss Doses During An Emergency Receives Widespread National
Attention
The
recent Consumer Health Information Corporation newsletter that
outlined steps consumers can take to ensure they do not miss
potentially life-ensuring doses during an emergency received
widespread national attention, and was reprinted across the
U.S. and Canada by organizations including major drug store
chains, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy schools, state pharmacy
associations, and consumer-oriented periodicals.
The electronic newsletter,
written by Dr. Dorothy L. Smith and called "Taking
Control of Your Medicines," was sent out immediately following
the September 11 tragedy. It was aimed at informing patients
of simple steps they can take to ensure they do not miss doses
of their medicines because of disruptions in airline service,
mail-order pharmacy delays, building evacuations, and other
unforeseen events. "Missing just a few doses of some medicines
can be serious, and even life-threatening," Dr. Smith pointed
out.
Among those reprinting Dr.
Smith's newsletter on their Internet sites were drug store chains
including CVS (the nation's largest drug chain by store count),
USA Drug, Longs Drug Stores, Giant Pharmacies, Shaws, and CARE
Pharmacies. Roche Laboratories and Fujisawa Healthcare were
among the pharmaceutical manufacturers making the information
available to patients, as did the National Council on Patient
Information and Education (NCPIE) — a major coalition representing
the pharmaceutical industry, health professionals, and consumer
organizations.
The newsletter offered such
advice as: