Advice from your Pharmacist

Medications in the NEWS

Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) - OTC Pain Reliever and Fever Reducer
Take it seriously, take it safely...
Cholesterol Medicines - Niacin
Lowering cholesterol with Slo-Niacin...
Cholesterol Medicines - Statins
Preventing heart attacks and strokes...
Cholesterol Medicines - Vytorin and Zetia
Media buzz causes unnecessary concern about these medicines...
Cough-Cold Medicines in Children
"Do Not Use" recommendations for children under 4 years of age...
Generic Drugs FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions about generics...
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine
Vaccine to prevent some types of cervical cancer in girls and young women...
Inhaler Medicines for COPD
Do they raise the risk of heart problems?
Lyrica for Fibromyalgia
Is Lyrica helpful?...
Prescription Drug Ads
Be a smart shopper...
Rx vs OTC
When medicines change from prescription (Rx) to over-the-counter (OTC) status?...
Trouble sleeping (insomnia) tip sheet
How to sleep well without medicines...
Understanding your Medication
Tips for knowing about the medications you are taking...
Yasmin VTE Risk Member FAQ
Is there a risk for blood clots?

Medication CHANGES

Actonyl, Boniva to alendronate
Changing to generic alendronate tablets...
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
Azopt eye drops
Changing to dorzolamide (generic Trusopt) eye drops...
Effexor XR to venlafaxine ER
Changing to generic venlafaxine ER tablets...
Fosamax D to alendronate
Changing to generic alendronate tablets...
Lamotrigine chew tablets
Changing to lamotrigine oral (swallow) tablets...
Niacin tablets
Changing from Niaspan to Slo-Niacin...
Splitting tablets?
If you are cutting tablets in half, here are some "do's and dont's"...

Medications for Cold-Flu Season

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

Cold and Flu Medicines
Get the facts...

Colds and Flu in Adults
What to do...

Colds and Flu in Children
What to do...

Cough in Adults and Children
Treatment tips...

Cough and Cold Medicines in Children
Consumer health information...

Flu comparison
Seasonal flu or 2009 H1N1 flu?...

Arm yourself against the flu:
The best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get an annual flu vaccination. Everyone in your household should get a yearly vaccination, but it's especially important for:

• Children 6 months to 19 years of age.
• Anyone 50 years or older.
• Anyone with a chronic health condition like diabetes, heart or lung disease, etc.
• Pregnant women.
• Health care workers.
• Anyone living with or caring for someone in any of the above categories or with a child under 6 months old.

Call our Flu Shot Hot Line to find out about the availability of flu vaccines at a location near you: 1-800-KP-FLU-11 (1-800-573-5811). Vaccinations are free to Kaiser Permanente members only and will be offered throughout the winter if available.

Visit kp.org/flu for helpful advice on preventing and treating seasonal flu - and for the latest news about the H1N1 flu. The seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the H1N1 virus strain. A separate H1N1 vaccine has been in production and is now becoming available.

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

This site may contain links to other web sites outside of www.permanente.net. Kaiser Permanente has no control over the content or the availability of these sites, and is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites. Web links are provided as an educational tool, and should not be relied upon for personal diagnosis or treatment. A link or reference to a web site should not be construed as an endorsement of the site or its contents. Any medical content that you feel may be important to your health should always be discussed with your Kaiser Permanente physician.