Advice from your Pharmacist

Medications in the NEWS

Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol)
Over-the-counter pain reliever to be taken seriously and safely...
Dabigatran (Pradaxa), a new blood thinner for atrial fibrilation
How does it compare to Warfarin?
Generic Drugs
Safe, effective and affordable... approved by the FDA and Kaiser Permanente...
Herbal remedies, dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals and other "natural" products
Learn about these ingredients by visiting the Natural Medicines Comprehensive database...
Lyrica for Fibromyalgia
Is Lyrica helpful?...
Plan B One-Step for emergency contraception
Available without a prescription for women 17 years and older...
Potassium iodide and FAQs about radiation
Information from the California Department of Public Health...
Prescription Drug Ads
Questions to ask to help you be a smart shopper...
Propoxyphene (e.g., Darvon, Darvocet)
Removed from US markets due to safety concerns...
Rx vs OTC
When medicines change from prescription (Rx) to over-the-counter (OTC) status...
Understanding your Medication
Tips for knowing about the medications you are taking...

Medication CHANGES

Albuterol HFA inhaler - Go Green and Keep it Clean
Cleaning and priming instructions
Inhaladores de albuterol con HFA: no dañan el medio Ambiente
Instrucciones de preparación y limpieza
Femara or Aromasin for breast cancer
Changing to anastrozole (generic Armidex)...
Niacin tablets
Changing from Niaspan to Slo-Niacin...
One Touch Delica lancing system
Now included in OneTouch Ultra2 and UltraMini blood glucose meter kits...
Prograf for transplant patients
Changing from brand to generic tacrolimus...
Splitting tablets?
If you are cutting tablets in half, here are some "do's and dont's"...

Medications for Allergy Season

The information presented here is about selected medicines. For more information, please see the Drug Encyclopedia at kp.org. You may also speak with a pharmacist at your local Kaiser Permanente facility.

Life doesn't have to stop for allergies
Get the facts about allergy relief medicines...
Spring allergy season
Find out more about "hay fever" (allergic rhinitis) and what you can do...
How to use Anti-inflammatory Nasal Sprays
Daily use provides the greatest benefit in managing allergy symptoms...

NOTES

Fexofenadine (Allegra) goes over-the-counter
Fexofenadine (Allegra) is the latest in the group of allergy medicines to switch from prescription-only over-the-counter status. OTC Allegra should be on store shelves in March 2011, just in time for spring allergy season. Fexofenadine, like loratadine (e.g., Claritin), is a non-drowsy antihistamine that helps to relieve symptoms such as sneezing and itchy nose, throat, skin, and eyes. Both allergy medicines, along with cetirizine (Zyrtec), are available separately and in combination with a decongestant to help relieve nasal stuffiness. Please speak with your pharmacist if you have any questions about allergy medicines.

REMINDER

Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is stocked BEHIND the pharmacy counter.
Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant medicine used to help clear stuffy, blocked noses. A law passed several years ago requires pharmacies to stock pseudoephedrine behind the counter. The law also limits the amount of pseudoephedrine a consumer may purchase. These measures were put into place to combat the abuse of pseudoephedrine in making the illegal drug methamphetamine. An alternative decongestant medicine, phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) is available over-the-counter without these restrictions. Please speak with your pharmacist if you need more information about decongestant medicines.

Other resources for helping you manage seasonal allergies
*Kaiser Permanente member web site: www.kp.org --> click on the Health & Wellness tab or enter "allergy" in search box
*Kaiser Permanente Healthwise Handbook - see chapter on Allergies
*American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: www.aaaai.org/patients.stm

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