A Serious Business - Page 2
First-Generation Antihistamines: Why Severe Drowsiness and Anticholinergic Effects Matter
Dec, 1 2025First-generation antihistamines like Benadryl cause severe drowsiness and anticholinergic side effects that can last over 18 hours. Learn why they're risky for daily use, especially for older adults, and what safer alternatives exist.
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COMISA: How to Manage Insomnia and Sleep Apnea Together
Dec, 1 2025COMISA-comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea-affects nearly half of all sleep apnea patients. Treating one condition without the other rarely works. Learn why combining CBT-I and CPAP is the only proven solution.
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Antiplatelet Medications: Understanding Bleeding Risks and How to Protect Your Stomach
Dec, 1 2025Antiplatelet medications save lives but raise the risk of stomach bleeding. Learn how to protect your GI tract with PPIs, which drugs are riskiest, when to stop them, and what to do if you bleed.
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Pregnancy and ACE Inhibitors or ARBs: Fetal Risk and Safe Alternatives
Nov, 30 2025ACE inhibitors and ARBs are strictly unsafe during pregnancy and can cause severe fetal harm. Learn the risks, the safest alternatives like labetalol and methyldopa, and what to do if you're already pregnant or planning to conceive.
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Rifampin and Birth Control: What You Need to Know About Contraceptive Failure Risks
Nov, 29 2025Rifampin can make birth control pills, patches, and rings ineffective by speeding up hormone breakdown. Learn why only rifampin-not other antibiotics-poses this risk, how long the danger lasts, and what backup methods actually work.
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Healthcare System Communication: Institutional Generic Education Programs for Better Patient Outcomes
Nov, 26 2025Institutional healthcare communication programs train staff to speak clearly, listen deeply, and reduce errors. Evidence shows they cut malpractice claims, boost patient satisfaction, and save lives - but only if implemented well.
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What Is a Drug Safety Communication from the FDA?
Nov, 25 2025A Drug Safety Communication from the FDA is an official alert about new risks tied to approved medications. These messages help doctors and patients make safer treatment decisions based on real-world data.
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Understanding Adverse Event Rates: Percentages and Relative Risk in Clinical Trials
Nov, 24 2025Learn how adverse event rates are calculated in clinical trials using percentages and relative risk, why traditional methods mislead, and why the FDA now requires exposure-adjusted metrics like EAIR for accurate safety assessment.
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Low Back Pain: How to Spot Red Flags, When to Get Imaging, and What Exercise Therapy Actually Works
Nov, 23 2025Low back pain affects most adults, but only 1-2% of cases are serious. Learn how to spot true red flags, when imaging is actually needed, and why exercise therapy is the most effective long-term solution.
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Generic Drug Shortages: When Too Much Competition Hurts Supply
Nov, 22 2025Generic drug shortages aren't caused by too few manufacturers-they're caused by too little profit. When competition drives prices to zero, makers walk away, leaving patients without life-saving meds.
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International Supply Chains: How Dependence on Foreign Manufacturing Causes Drug Shortages
Nov, 21 2025Dependence on foreign manufacturing for drugs has led to widespread shortages. With 90% of active ingredients coming from China and India, even small disruptions can cut off life-saving medications. Here’s how the system works-and how to fix it.
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How to Use Lockboxes for High-Risk Medications at Home: A Practical Safety Guide
Nov, 20 2025Learn how to safely store high-risk medications like opioids and benzodiazepines using a lockbox to prevent accidental poisoning, misuse, and theft. Step-by-step guide for families with children or elderly members.
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