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Tips To Avoid Self-Medication In Old People

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

According to research concluded, it was found that 68.6% of the elderly had at least are involved with self-medication. The term self-medication is described as human behavior in which individuals treat health problems and severe illness without consulting or taking advice from doctors or healthcare professionals.

A person takes non-prescribed medicines or services which are often term as over the counter (OTC) without consulting or visiting a doctor. It also refers to the people who take dietary supplements for fast results without a prescription.

Self-medication can be extremely harmful as we only look for the on-time recovery, but the effects can be too harsh in the long run. Obviously, the relief isn’t permanent, and it only heals for the time being; taking medicines, drugs, and aging supplements from pharmacists will have damaging effects on your health.

Some people are also looking for cost-effective methods, but the savings worth nothing as you are putting yourself on the stake, and later you will have to spend more.

As far as older people are concerned, they already are on the verge of death, they are weak, and their body isn’t able to fight the harmful effects that these medicines could cause, and by taking the medications which are not prescribed by the doctor will make them more vulnerable.

One thing has been observed that older people doing self-medication are mostly relying on old prescriptions, taking friends’ advice, or the most found, using the internet for instant remedies and cures. Yes, you can research and make alterations in your life accordingly, but doctors and health care professionals are meant for this job.

You must have heard or read this that the work suits in the hands of the one skilled to do it. It is crystal clear that if someone else does it, he’s sure to make a mess.

Why Is Self-Medication Prevalent In Older People?

Self-medication means that you are ignoring the consultation of doctors and getting things done in traditional ways with suggestions and pieces of advice, reading blogs, and taking older prescriptions, which are likely not to work anymore.

Self-medication is a habit, a habit that can have appalling consequences sooner or later. Older people are more immune to viruses, and that is why they have a high altitude of getting a fever, cold, cough, body aches, etc.

Instead of going to the doctor or health care professional and getting the right prescribed medicines, older people are more likely to rely upon self-medication and take medications that relieve them from the pain for the time being.

A minor issue that could be quickly resolved earlier with doctor’s assistance will lead to something that will become terrible in the long run and challenging to diagnose or treat.

The reasons as to why older people are more prevalent are that they mostly get the attitude of carelessness and laziness. They try to save money by taking cheap and injurious measures instead of subsequent medication.

Tips To Avoid Self-Medication In Older People

There are several tips and ways to stop and avoid self-medication. Remember that determination leads to productivity and desired results, and the first step always lies in your hands.

Here are the seven most useful and functional tips to avoid self-medication. Have a look!

1. Listening To The Perspective Of Care Takers

There are around 423,200 home service agencies in the United States, with 1,976,692 employees working with different SOPs. So, the perspective of caretakers matters the most. They provide health care assistance to most of the older people in different states.

Caretakers also urge that self-medication is harmful and should be wholly suppressed. Their beliefs are not any different than ours. The home health care providers follow strict rules and principles for medication and counsel older people to unfollow this practice.

2. Know The Relationship Between Addiction & Self-Medication

Older people are found to be more addicted to certain things because of the practices that have been carried for a long time. Self-medication has become an addiction to tens of thousands of aged people around the world. Effective strategies are needed to prevent addiction by avoiding self-medication and bad habits.

3. Saying ‘No’ To Non-Prescribed Medicines

Nowadays, more people are inclined towards the internet. Checking for remedies and buying medicines, just like gadgets, is common in people of old age.

But the fact is real that thousands of online pharmacies and self-medication articles are unauthentic and fake, and taking medicines from them can put you in a position where you have to spend hundreds of dollars later for getting back to normal, which will still be uncertain.

Non-Prescribed medicines could be of great danger to your health because it might be out-of-date, expired, diluted, or fake. These cautions are not a matter of concern for the sellers, as they are just trying to sell the most number of products by putting fancy descriptions and fake reviews. All they are trying to do is just manipulating and mocking the buyers.

4. Setting Medical Assistance At A Priority

Setting priorities play a pivotal part in human’s life. Older people are often neglected when it comes to getting medical assistance at a priority. Older people tend to be lazier, and in mere oblivion, the weaknesses also lead to unforeseen circumstances.

A doctor’s work can never be done by anyone else, nor can it be done on your own. Older people are not admitting the reality and instead try to get the situation handled themselves. Setting up medical assistance will prevent unwanted happenings.

Instead of taking matters in your own hands, you should acquire for doctor’s help by getting the appointment, meeting in person, diagnosing the illness, and living a healthier life.

The doctor’s guidance as to what medicine will be a perfect solution for you, its dosage, the amount of it to be taken in, the possible side effects, or any harmful interactions is essential. All of this may be told upon the prescription after proper screenings.

5. Create Awareness

Awareness has always been a more significant element in change and for a better society. Public perception is essential, but it can only be impacted if people realize its importance. Older adults are weak and in an instability mode, so to create awareness and to educate them about it is the duty of those associated with them.

‘The first step towards change is awareness, and the second is acceptance.” – Nathaniel Brandon

The community develops when there are awareness and know-how of things. Self-medication is like a slow poison that acts slowly but gradually affects you. Awareness campaigns should be held to educate people regarding the dreadful impact of self-medication and how it puts you in emerging danger.

Virtual awareness campaigns can also do the part. Advertisements on the internet, television broadcasting, and billboards can create high awareness by highlighting the adverse effects of self-medication.

6. Understand The Role Of Drug Control Authority

There are thousands of online consultants and pharmacies operating without getting proper licensing and are not being monitored for security protocols and checks and balances. Older people being at home use the internet and try to get immediate solutions to their problems and often get in contact with the fake and manipulative sellers online. They aren’t familiar with the safety regulations imposed by these authorities for consumer protection.

Drug Control Authorities should keep a proper eye on as many of the fake sellers as they could. Registrations should be done, adequate issuance of licensing must be done, and monitoring of the products.

People are advised to buy research papers online but not to go online for consultation and medical prescriptions instead of consulting doctors for better and satisfying results.

7. Look For Reliable Pharmacists

Tens of thousands of pharmacies and online consultation services are fooling people. Taking online consultation is not as easy as buying essay help UK online. Pharmacists must be educated on the possible consequences of selling non-prescribed medicines and violating consumer protection regulations.

Even if you are taking an online consultation, make sure they are qualified and have a proper and updated license. Also, make sure that they pay attention to details and show a kind attitude. Lack of attention from your pharmacist increases the possibility of medical errors.

What are the Perils of Self-Medication? Getting It Concluded

Self-medication is dangerous and is not advisable to anyone, especially older adults, because they have a weak immune system. If you consume medicines without having a legit prescription, a lot of problems such as medical complications, over-dosage, and poisoning may occur. I have accumulated all the potential perils that self-medication can cause:

  1. You will be addicted to it.
  2. It will cause long term side effects.
  3. Your body condition may get relapsed.
  4. It can also cause instantaneous on-spot death.
  5. It will damage other healthy organs of your body.

 

Sickness and body-aches happen rarely, and for that, taking your own invented or friend’s prescribed medicine or doing remedy you read about on social media may heal you for the time being. Still, in the longer run, it will not be beneficial. Besides, it will make you more receptive to new diseases and illnesses.

Visiting doctor and implementing on the doctor’s prescription will save you from happening hazardous and keep you healthy and wealthy.

Author Bio

Claudia Jeffrey is currently working as Content Strategist at Crowd Writer, a credible platform to get on-time delivery of essay help UK. She has gained a credible reputation with her outstanding write-ups on the health and well-being of elders. She likes to share her views and opinions through writing.

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Talking to Senior Parents about Drugs
Healthy Living

Talking to Senior Parents about Drugs

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

As our bodies age and the health we took for granted in our youth fades into cellular disruptions, disorders, diseases and chronic aches and pains, we turn to the wonders of drugs — prescription, over-the-counter, and vitamins and supplements.

So much so, that by the time we are 60 and older, more than 76 percent of us use two or more prescription drugs and 37 percent use five or more, according to a 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. And that figure does not include over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements, which other studies indicate could easily double medication amounts.
It is little wonder that Home Instead Senior Care, an international network of more than 1,000 franchises of personalized care agencies, developed the marketing campaign, “It’s time to talk to your parents about drugs.”

The Omaha-based company surveyed its own clients and found that nearly one-fifth of those taking five or more prescriptions say they have trouble managing their prescriptions, including keeping track of which medications they have taken and when.
That confusion can cause problems with overdosing, under-medicating, duplicate prescriptions and drug interactions, which can lead to visits to hospital emergency departments, even hospital admissions and deaths.

“I have seen many, many seniors on 11 to 14 drugs,” said Rosemarie Lamm, Ph.D., executive director of the RATH Senior Connextions program in Lakeland and a retired professor of gerontology in the nursing program at the University of South Florida.

At RATH Senior Connextions, “we do a lot of educating seniors and their families” about drugs, dosages, interactions and medication management, Lamm said.

“One of the problems is getting medications confused,” Lamm said. “It is easy to do if you have six or eight medications. We had a patient who had mixed her heart medication with her blood pressure medication – she was toxic.”

As seniors get older, health care issues gets more complicated, said Temi Charrier, administrator and co-owner with her husband, John, of Home Instead Senior Care in Lakeland. Most seniors have several doctors and each doctor issues prescriptions. If the doctors aren’t communicating and if there is no single pharmacy overseeing the prescriptions, a patient can end up with a maze of overlapping prescriptions.

“Not long ago, we went to the home of a client who was on four different blood pressure medications from four different doctors and did not understand what was going on,” Charrier said. Among the problems was a crossover of name-brand and generic medications so the client did not recognize duplication, she said.
Home Instead, which is licensed by the state as a home health agency, can only do so much in helping seniors keep their medications straight, Charrier said. Although there is a registered nurse on staff, the caregivers are not nurses and cannot administer medications. The caregivers, however, can remind clients when it is time to take a pill, help a client open a bottle, read the label, and oversee a client organizing pills into multi-day pillboxes, Charrier said.

They can also ask adult children, spouses and friends to get involved by organizing the medications into multi-day pillboxes or looking into pharmacies that package medications and vitamins in single-dose packs.

PILLBOX HELPS

Marylou Taylor, 78, of Lakeland said a multi-day pillbox has made life much simpler for her. Taylor takes seven medications and a multivitamin daily.

Taylor, who has a doctorate in counseling and retired three years ago from the University of South Florida’s clinical mental health faculty, said she is active and healthy but over the past decade, the number of her medications have crept up. And a few weeks ago, while carrying a box in preparation for a move, “I literally fell over my own feet” and broke a leg. She is temporarily living with her older sister while she recuperates.
The multi-day pillbox is divided into morning, afternoon and evening for each day of the week, Taylor said. When she is busy, she might forget to take a dose, or she might not remember whether or not she had taken a particular dose.

“As long as I use my trusty pillbox, I know if I took them. If I did not have that, I could see me taking and then retaking them,” Taylor said.

“To fill up the pillbox takes maybe five minutes every Monday morning. Probably, as I get older, it will take longer and longer, but now I can do it in about five minutes,” Taylor said.

CHANGING BODIES

Not only is it confusing to keep track of numerous medications and their possible side effects and interactions, seniors might not realize their aging bodies react to drugs differently than younger, healthy bodies, Lamm said.

“At the cellular level, we retain more of the drugs, and we excrete them more slowly,” Lamm said. “If you take a drug at 2 in the afternoon, it might not be absorbed until 2 the next afternoon while with a young person it might be out of the body by midnight. That is why an older person who takes a sleeping pill at night might be groggy the whole next day.

“All our organs have a slower function as we age,” Lamm said. “Kidneys and livers do not function at the same level as when you were 25; it is a less adequate level.”

Medication is the first issue you look at when people have memory symptoms, falling, lack of balance, weight loss or gain, any change in physical status, Lamm said.

“Medications are lifesavers but they can cause so many side effects,” Lamm said. Not only can drug interactions cause problems but an individual’s reaction to even a single medication could cause any of those issues.

THE TALK

Any time a senior has a change in behavior, it can be a point of entry to discuss the possibility of a medication issue, Lamm said. If a senior mentions feeling dizzy, or if you notice Mom has been sleeping a lot lately or she cannot remember what she did yesterday, it’s an opportunity to start a conversation, Lamm said.

Charrier said she has observed many such talks over the years between elders and their families and has learned that its effectiveness is all about approach.

“Ask the person, ‘Where do you see yourself a year from now, five years from now?’ Ninety percent or more want to say ‘at home.’ Because the biggest issues that get seniors in trouble are medication and nutrition, you can say, ‘These are things we need to look at and keep organized so you can stay at home.’ ”

Louise Moore, who celebrated her 89th birthday Friday, said two years ago her doctor told her she could no longer live alone. “We had to do something,” said Moore, who wanted to continue to live in her ranch-style home of 35 years, which her late husband, Claude Moore, had built when he retired from Publix. So Moore and her daughter, Carolyn Sue Leitch of Daytona Beach, made arrangements with Home Instead for live-in caregivers.

Jeri Luna, who splits the 24/7 coverage with another caregiver, said when she arrived, Moore was taking her medications directly from the pill bottles three times a day. Luna helped her set up a weekly pillbox and now, Moore said, it is easy to keep track of her five daily medications and vitamins. “You can always check back to the pillbox and see whether you have taken it,” Moore said.

Charrier said that when she sees a senior getting upset with adult children, it is because the senior feels she or he is being told what to do, is backed into a corner or is being ganged up on. But when the approach is to work as a team to keep things organized, the senior welcomes the help.

Lamm said an adult child or friend who gives a senior a ride to the doctor can use that to remind the senior to bring along a paper bag with all the prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and vitamins and supplements he takes so the doctor can check for possible interactions and duplication.

If a senior comes in with a bag of medications, the doctor can flip open a computer screen and look them up, Lamm said. And with electronic recordkeeping — if the patient gives permission — each practitioner can check and see what other doctors have prescribed.

THE PHARMACY

Charrier said another way to keep things organized and safe is to use a single pharmacy. The pharmacist will watch for duplication and possible drug interactions.

If a patient is price shopping and finds that another pharmacy will fill a prescription for free or at a much-lower fee, the patient can ask his regular pharmacist to match the price, Charrier said. Most pharmacies will.
Other prescription issues can be more complicated. Sometimes insurance companies will allow only a limited number of fills from a retail pharmacy, then require the customer to order from an online pharmacy. Or a doctor may give a patient a free sample to see how a drug works.

Many things can make it difficult for seniors to keep track of what they are taking and for their pharmacist and primary care doctor to monitor for problems, Charrier said.

But adult children, or friends, can watch for signs of medication mismanagement and have the issue checked by a professional.

By Marilyn Meyer
The Ledger
marilyn.meyer@theledger.com
Follow her on Twitter @marilyn_ledger.

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Senior woman taking her daily medication
Seniors & Covid

Maintaining medication adherence during a health crisis

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

People of all ages can have difficulty managing their medications, but this is especially true for seniors who may face physical limitations, memory loss, and multiple chronic conditions. Add to this the complexity that coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing has created for caregivers and older adults, and you have a perfect storm for medication non-adherence, which is estimated to account for 10% of hospital readmissions, nearly 25% of nursing home admissions, and 20% of preventable adverse drug events in older adults.

So, what is medication non-adherence? According to the American Pharmacists Association, non-adherence includes delaying or not filling a prescription, skipping doses, splitting pills, or stopping medication early. In addition to generating an estimated $100 to $289 billion in health care expenses annually, non-adherence takes a toll on the health of seniors who may be on long-term medication and need ongoing, consistent care.

Millions of older Americans currently depend on a home aide or family caregiver for help with their medications, but the current COVID-19 crisis is causing lockdowns and restricted visitation rules at nursing homes, while independent seniors are isolated in their homes. As a result, medication adherence is at risk for all older adults. In addition, they are at risk of suffering from loneliness as a result of extended isolation and a disruption in their social connections.

If you or someone you know is a caregiver, or if you’re concerned about medication management for a loved one or family friend during the current health crisis, here are three strategies to stay socially connected to loved ones and help ensure they take the right medication at the right time.

  1. Use technology to establish a routine and method of reminders. Following a simple and memorable routine and reminder system can help aging loved ones remember to take their medications throughout the day. Technology can be an effective way to help older adults stay on track with medications, even if a caregiver cannot be there in person. Consider setting reminders on a cell phone for older adults, using electronic pillboxes, enlisting the help of apps, and employing a two-way, interactive medication management system that allows caregivers to interact with seniors to confirm they are taking their meds.
  2. Take advantage of pre-packed medication and bulk pharmacy options. Being prepared with the healthcare essentials – especially prescription medications – is critical for minimizing contact with at-risk populations during lockdowns and social isolation. By taking advantage of options to order multi-dose, pouched medications or a 90-day supply of ongoing medications from your pharmacy, and using curbside pick-up or delivery services, you can ensure that seniors take medications as directed while minimizing the spread of COVID-19.
  3. Maintain social interaction with regular calls and video chats. Research has revealed a positive correlation between social interaction and physical health, especially for older adults. The use of video-enabled technology is exploding in response to the current health crisis, as families and caregivers attempt to cope with the anxiety and fear that social distancing creates. Choose the technology platform that works best for the seniors in your life and collaborates with care teams to make the most out of video chat and medication management capabilities.

When taken correctly and consistently, medication can change a person’s life. For starters, the right treatment plan can promote independence for patients managing chronic conditions at home or it can promote healing and improvement in health status that allows patients to enjoy the things they love in life. Thanks to new and emerging technologies, patients and caregivers can realize better care coordination; have access to important information from providers; and benefit from a more satisfying, high-value care experience. And most importantly, the right technology can help loved ones age gracefully and in their best health.

By Lisa Lavin, Founder and CEO, Ōmcare

About the Author

Lisa Lavin is the founder and CEO of Ōmcare. The Ōmcare Home Health Hub™ gives caregivers of all types the ability to see and speak to those who need assistance with medication adherence. The easy-to-use Ōmcare system is designed to facilitate remote monitoring, medication reminders and dispense and visual confirmation of medication consumption – giving family members greater peace of mind. Learn more at www.omcare.com.

 

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Prescription Programs

More Americans Choosing Generic Drugs

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

shutterstock_167991929 (2)More Americans Choosing Generic Drugs
Have you ever gone to fill a prescription and the pharmacist asks if you’d like the generic version of the medication, perhaps reminding you that it is at a considerable cost savings over the brand-named drug? Or you’re told that your insurance will only cover the generic equivalent of what your doctor has prescribed?More Americans Choosing Generic Drugs
The first time this happens, you undoubtedly have many questions: Is there a difference between branded and generic medicines? Will the generic be just as safe and effective? Do insurance companies prefer generics? If you have, you’re not alone in asking these questions.
-It’s no secret that the rising costs of health care services and medications have been affecting millions of Americans – indeed, our economy – and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future. However, generic alternatives have proven to be a critical factor in slowing down national health care spending. In fact, generic drug use has saved America’s health care system approximately $1.07 trillion over the past decade, with $192.8 billion in savings achieved in 2011 alone, according to a 2012 study by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.
However, while consumers recognize the cost advantage of generic drugs, they are reminded, from time to time, of the question of quality and efficacy of generic medications versus name-brand equivalents. Consumers should know that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health, requires that generic drugs must be identical or “bioequivalent” to brand name drugs in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use.
“The U.S. FDA tests generic medicines just as rigorously as their branded counterparts,” explains Venkat Krishnan, senior vice president and regional director at Ranbaxy Inc. “Generic drugs must meet rigid qualifying criteria before they can be made available to the general public. At Ranbaxy, we have stringent protocols in place to ensure that our products are both safe and effective, and we stand behind that, focused on our philosophy of ‘Quality and Patients First.'”
People are choosing generics in increasing numbers, out of economic necessity and because they are increasingly better informed.Of the 4 billion prescriptions written in 2011, nearly 80 percent were dispensed using generic versions of their brand name counterpart. With generics, consumers have the option of paying a price that is as much as 85 percent lower than name-brand drugs.

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Caregiving

Simplify Prescription Packaging to Avoid Nursing Homes

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

medsNumerous factors impact a senior’s ability to live independently, such as health and memory problems, mobility issues, and care coordination concerns. Often overlooked is the fact that one quarter of all nursing home admissions are the result of poor medication adherence. Simplify Prescription Packaging to Avoid Nursing Homes
Representing a loss of independence, being placed in a nursing home is a difficult milestone for both seniors and their families. It is also costly for seniors, their families and the health care system. The cost of a single room in a nursing home averages more than $200 per day and close to $200 billion for all Americans annually. About 62 percent of this cost in the United States is assumed by public, taxpayer-financed sources such as Medicaid and Medicare.
Almost half of seniors aged 65 and older take at least five different prescription drugs regularly, and one in four take between 10 and 19 pills each day according to data compiled by Kelton Research. In addition, more than half of seniors admit to not taking their medications as directed, and the adherence rate decreases as the number of daily medications prescribed increases.
“For seniors, taking one pill a day is manageable, however the complexity of taking multiple medications each with its own set of instructions, represents a real challenge that impacts their health and independence, says Ian Salditch, CEO of Medicine-On-Time. “However, the difficulties associated with taking multiple medications can effectively be addressed through customized prescription packaging.”
Salditch’s company developed Medicine-On-Time, where local pharmacists sort and organize medications into personalized pill cups labeled with the day, date and time to take them. Pharmacists provide all the pill cups to the patient organized into colorful calendar cards. It’s convenient, easy-to-use and, most importantly, proven effective to help people maintain independence and enjoy better health. A study released in the American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy found that seniors using Medicine-On-Time were 66 percent less likely to be admitted to a nursing home.
“It is an all too familiar process – adult children sorting their parents’ medications into pill boxes,” Salditch says. “Medicine-On-Time puts this process in the hands of licensed pharmacists and in doing so helps to ensure safety and accuracy, helping seniors maintain their independence and their quality of life.”Believe it or not, research conducted by Prince Market Research shows that seniors fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than they fear death. The same study found that baby boomer children of seniors also fear for their parents,-particularly their parents’ emotional and physical well-being should they have to enter a nursing home.
 

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Health Insurance

Insurers End Coverage for Key Drugs

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

18142Insurance is ending coverage for some key drugs that affect the health of patients. It’s a David-vs.-Goliath dispute, and millions of patients are caught in the middle — perhaps even unaware they’re about to lose coverage for compounded medications they need for their conditions. Insurers End Coverage for Key Drugs
At issue are the customized medications pharmacists prepare for patients who can’t metabolize or tolerate commercial drugs. Compounded medicines often are the only option for doctors treating certain children and seniors, patients coping with the pain of cancer and diabetes, and those with liver or kidney diseases.
In one corner: powerful insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) hell-bent on saving money by eliminating or cutting coverage of those medications.
In the other corner, fighting to reverse their moves: a coalition of patients, physicians, pharmacists and pro-patient groups like the Veterans Advocacy Group of America, the Kidney Cancer Association and the Arthritis Foundation.
“This is about shifting costs to patients,” says Jay McEniry, executive director of Patients and Physicians for Rx Access (saverxaccess.org). “Physicians are being placed in the impossible position of either prescribing a compounded medication the patient needs but can’t afford, or prescribing a less effective treatment because it may be covered by the patient’s insurance.”
The list of “Goliaths” who’ve announced or already implemented such cutbacks now includes United Healthcare/Optum Rx, Catamaran, CVS/Caremark, Harvard Pilgrim and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in several states.
But the coalition’s immediate wrath is directed at the nation’s largest PBM: Express Scripts, which in September is slated to stop covering 1,000 drug ingredients commonly found in compounded medications — effectively “eliminating an entire class of medications,” says McEniry.
Express Scripts and others argue that commercial drugs can do the job just as well for less money. But try telling that to patients like Linda Sauer.
The Dwight, Illinois, woman relies on her doctor-prescribed compounded medications for relief from several painful and debilitating conditions, and is outraged that Express Scripts’ decision leaves her no choice but to pay for them out of pocket.
“They’re denying me access to medicines that work better than the mass-produced drugs I’ve tried,” she says. “It will cost me and others hundreds of dollars per month.”
Sauer at least has read the advisory notice from Express Scripts, which the coalition claims gives “misleading reasons” for targeting what it calls “essential medicines” whose ingredients are purchased from FDA-regulated suppliers. But what of patients who didn’t?
Sadly, they’re in for a shock the next time they try to fill a prescription.

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