Download The Role of Medicine

Part 1:
The Role of Medicine
Part 2:
Using Medicine Wisely
Laura Copeland
Chelsey Lindbloom
Rick Ligon
Gabrielle Marrah
Alicia McMahon
Audience
Demographics
• For this presentation
the audience are senior
citizens, 50 years of age
or over.
Part 1:
The Role of
Medicine
Medication
• A substance that when
taken internally or applied
to the body, helps treat,
prevent, or cure a disease,
disorder, or other medical
problem.
Medication
Classification
• A medication is classified
according to its effects on
the body
• There are 4 broad
classifications
– Prevent Disease
– Fight Pathogens
– Treat Cardiovascular
Disease
– Relieve Pain
Prevent Disease
• Considered by many to be
the most effective way of
preventing infectious
diseases
• Prevent diseases before
they even occur
• Two types…
Type 1: Vaccines
Two important vaccines:
• Flu/Influenza
– Flu Season is annually
from October to March
– The vaccine changes every
season
– You can get your vaccine at
your doctor’s office, a
clinic, the Health
Department, or Publix
Vaccines Cont…
• Pneumonia
– Prevents bacteria from
causing pneumonia
– Lasts 5 years
– You can get the vaccine at
your Dr. office, a clinic, the
Health Department, or
Publix
Type 2: Antitoxins
• Contain antibodies from
blood extracts
• Proven to act more
quickly than vaccines
• When injected, neutralize
the effect of toxins
Fight Pathogens
• Called Antibiotics
– By Prescription
– Can be taken by mouth, on
the skin, injection, or
intravenously
– Take entire prescribed
course even if you are
feeling better!
Cardiovascular
Medicines
• Medicine that helps the heart
regulate blood pressure
• Five main types:
– Clot-dissolving medicines
– Beta Blockers
– Vasodilators
– Diuretics
– Antiarrhythmics
Relieve Pain
Pain relievers range from
narcotics such as codeine
to mild pain relievers such
as aspirin.
Which pain relievers work
best?
Positive
Negative
anti-inflammatory
reduces blood clotting
can prevent heart attack, stroke
limited amount of relief
can irritate stomach
easy to take too much
Aspirin:
650 mg
Acetaminophen:
well tolerated by the stomach not
an anti-inflammatory
good for burns, bruises, sprains
no anticoagulant effects
good for bruises and sprains
few people are intolerant
anti-inflammatory (anticoagulant)
common for allergies to exist
can irritate stomach
recommended intake with food
1000 mg
Ibuprofen
400 mg
Medication
and Your Body • Everyone reacts
differently to medications
• You can have a different
reaction to any medication
at any time no matter how
long you have been
taking it
• factors that contribute to
the body’s interaction with
a medicine include:
– Body weight
– Body chemistry
– Other medications being
taken
– Individual metabolism
– Eating different foods
Common Terms
• Side Effect
– Reaction to a medicine other
than the one intended
• Tolerance
– A condition in which the body
becomes used to the effect of a
medicine
• Withdrawal
– The process that occurs when a
person stops using a
medicine/substance to which
he/she has a physiological
dependence
Drug Interaction
• Additive Interaction
– Occurs when medicines work
together in a positive way
• Antagonistic Effect
– Interaction of 2 or more
medicines
– One cancels or reduces the
strength of the other
• Synergistic Effect
– Interaction of 2 or more
medicines
– One increases the strength
of the other
Drug Interaction Activity!
• Every participant will receive a
handful of skittles
• Each color skittle represents a
specific brand and dosage of drug
•We will learn about the dangers of
mixing drugs together or with alcohol
What The
Colors Represent
• Red
– Heart
• Pink
– Blood Pressure
• Purple
– Memory
• Blue
– Respiratory
• Yellow
– Urinary
• Green
– Antibiotics
• Orange
– Pain
MIX YOUR DRUGS!
Organizational Tools
Part 2:
Using Medicine
Wisely
How do drugs
reach the store?
A Government agency
known as the Food and
Drug Administration
(FDA) Deems the Drugs
to be safe and effective for
the public to use.
Prescription Medications
• Generally stronger and have
more potential harm
• Can only be used with written
approval of licensed physician
• Only licensed Pharmacists can
give them
Over-The-Counter
Medications
• Over the counter (OTC)
medicines can be used
without a prescription
• Generally weaker and safer to
use than prescription
medicines
• Still have the potential of
being harmful
“HOW DO I USE IT?”
All medication should have a
“directions” section.
Proper Use of Medication:
Know what active ingredients
you are taking
Follow the prescribed or
recommended amount
Know how often you should be
taking it
Why finish?
Reasons to finish your
prescribed course of medicine:
• You will feel better before the
illness is gone
• You will build resistance to the
medicine if not taken properly
• The dosage and length is how the
drug designed to fight the disease.
• Because, really… the doctor
knows best 
Don’t Forget
To Take Your
Medications
Percentage of Americans Who Use Medication(s)
21%
Prescription
Medication(s)
49%
Non-Prescription
Medication(s)
No Medication(s)
30%
Brand Name vs. Generic Name
Medication
A
1
B
2
C
3
Misuse and
Abuse
Common examples include:
Mixing medicine
Sharing your Rx medicine
Taking too much or too little
Taking someone else’s medicine
Taking the medicine for too long
or for too short
Review
1. Medications are
classified according to
what?
a. Their effects on the
body
b. Their cost
c. Availability
d. Ease of Use
Review
2. Which of the
following are the two
examples of important
vaccines from the
presentation?
a. Influenza & Rubella
b. Rubella & Pneumonia
c. Pneumonia &
Influenza
d. Flu & Acetaminophen
Review
3. Which of the
following has no
anticoagulant effects?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Aspirin
Ibuprofen
Tylenol
Advil
Review
4. Which of the
following are not
examples of how
someone could
misuse medications?
a. Mixing medicine
b. Taking too much or too
little
c. Taking some over the
counter medications
for a headache
d. Taking someone else’s
medicine