NCPIE: Educate Before You Medicate

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

ncpie: national council on patient information and education- www.talkaboutrx.org

excellent website! a goldmine of patient-teaching information. "our web site is designed to help consumers make sound decisions about a very important part of good health: use of medicines. ncpie provides here necessary information to support consumers' safe medicine use."

"be medwise," along with every other ncpie campaign and message, promotes safe medicine use by focusing on the "3rs": risk, respect, and responsibility

• ask questions about instructions for use, precautions, and side effects whenever a new medicine is prescribed.
  
• share information with doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals about other prescription and otc medicines you are taking.
  
• keep a current list of all the medicines you are taking, including prescription and otc medicines. include dietary supplements, herbal remedies and vitamins too. be sure to show the list to your healthcare providers at every visit.
  
• read carefully any written information that comes with the medicine, and save it for future reference.

ncpie: national council on patient information and education

[shadowrnmom]

This is so TRUE! I come from over 25 years working in the ED, ICU and PACU and spend most of my time educating the sweet LOLs about "that little white pill" they take every morning. If we only took the time before discharge from the Med/Surg floor, these darlings wouldn't come in Dig toxic! I've found through the years too that our patients are becoming more consumer savvy and want to learn about their bodies. Mostly I have to simplify, so I compare the heart to the electrical and plumbing system, orthopedics to the carpentry. They don't find it offensive; in fact, most people "get it" and are more compliant with their care. I further teach what the effects will have on all their body parts. And please, please, teach all the gals going home on ATBs to eat Yogurt. We have so many bounce back yeast infections!

:paw:Try it! It's fun.