Helpful Website-Drugwatch

 

Have you ever been prescribed a medication and wondered what side effects you might have?  Have you ever cared for a loved one who was taking medications that you needed to help them manage?  Have you ever struggled to read the tiny tiny tiny print on those package inserts that tell you about the dosage and possible side effects etc.??  If you answered yes to any of these questions, DrugWatch.com is a site you should visit.

DrugWatch.com is described as, "a comprehensive Web site database featuring extensive information about thousands of different medications and drugs currently on the market or previously available worldwide".  From the home page, there is an A to Z listing of just about any drug you can think of (and many you have never heard of before).  I used the database to search for the drug Toprol, which is a heart medication some of my relatives have taken. The site gave a description of the drug, a list of possible side effects, dosage information, possible drug interactions, and any black box or recall information.  I learned that Toprol must be discontinued gradually to avoid severe chest pain and a possible heart attack.  Good to know!

The  page had a section that listed drug alerts.  These are updated daily so you have the latest informaiton.  The most recently added drugs were listed on the page as well.  On the right side of the home page was an RSS feed listing of the latest drug news.  You can subscribe to this feed and get daily updates.

One of the articles there I found most interesting said an icreasing number of US drivers in fatal car crashes tested positive for drug use, including legally prescribed drugs and over the counter drugs.  So when the directions say, "May cause drowsines.  Do not operate motor vehicles or heavy machinery.", it might be a good idea to LISTEN :)

A new feature is a section on medical device recalls.  These would be things like surgery and dental devices, implants and prosthetics.  If you or someone you know uses a medical device you can get information and updates at DrugWatch.

So check out DrugWatch.com and put it in your favorites file.  If you ever need it, it will be handy!