By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cost crisis
    What If the Health Care Cost Crisis Solves Itself?
    May 11, 2013
    Do You Need Life Insurance? What Does It Cover?
    December 23, 2022
    HIE metal plans
    The Four “Metal Plans” of Health Insurance Exchanges
    May 28, 2013
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Are Patients Being Informed Of Alternatives To Medication?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Are Patients Being Informed Of Alternatives To Medication?
eHealthHospital Administration

Are Patients Being Informed Of Alternatives To Medication?

Larry Alton
Larry Alton
Share
5 Min Read
Are Patients Being Informed Of Alternatives To Medication?
SHARE

 

Contents
Many patients are leery of drugsEnforcing policies to prevent over-prescription can save livesAlternatives to medication

Healthcare providers have a responsibility to provide the best care to their patients. That means making sure patients are aware of alternative options to surgery and medication.

Medication is dangerous enough when taken by the person it was prescribed to. It’s even more dangerous when taken by someone else. Although some people with addictions intentionally take other people’s medication, sometimes it happens accidentally. US pharmacists make 2.3 million dispensing errors each year, putting people’s lives at risk.

There’s no denying medication saves lives. Many people rely on medication just to function normally on a daily basis. However, medication isn’t always the right option, nor is it the only option.

More Read

Ebola
7 Steps to Avoid Another Ebola-Like Pandemic
Improving Modern Medicine: Why Social Media is Just What the Doctor Ordered
Latest Samsung Smartphone Adds Health Functions
5 Hospitals Using Pinterest to Boost their Brand
Telemedicine ROI: A Needle in a Haystack

For example, many patients who experience an abnormal heartbeat are immediately put on dangerous medication for the rest of their lives. Blood thinners, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and anticoagulants are not mild drugs. Using ablation to destroy abnormal heart tissue that might be causing the problem is a viable alternative for many of those patients. Combined with catheter-based mapping, this alternative can be even more effective.

Many patients are leery of drugs

Some patients take the time to educate themselves around the risks and dangers of medication, and many are aware that popular drugs have been “black boxed.” Patients know doctors don’t have time to read every warning label, and often administer medication incorrectly.

They read blogs that report on studies, like this article from ConsumerSafety.org, that says “nearly 40% of patients in ambulatory settings were prescribed drugs that had a boxed warning. In some of the recorded cases, pregnant women even received medications where the boxed warning made the drug contraindicated in pregnancy.”

Patients who have made up their mind about not taking prescription drugs deserve to be given alternative information.

Having policies in place and knowing the available options isn’t enough. Healthcare workers should be specifically trained to offer alternative resources whenever appropriate, and doctors should be held accountable for over-prescribing.

Enforcing policies to prevent over-prescription can save lives

CDC data reveals Americans spend more than $300 billion on prescription drugs each year. While some of these prescriptions are necessary, many aren’t. Patients are prescribed painkillers like Vicodin far too easily. It’s not that Vicodin itself is bad, but over-prescribing can lead to dangerous consequences, sometimes accidental.

More than 46 people die each day from prescription drug overdose, according to the CDC, and 40% are from opioids. The drugs responsible for these deaths are mainly methadone, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Most of these overdoses are accidental, but occurred in the process of trying to get high.

Addiction to prescription painkillers doesn’t just affect the person who swallows the pill. For instance, in 2003, two young children were walking down the sidewalk when they were hit and killed by a woman who was drunk and high on Vicodin. According to the East Bay Times she was hooked on prescription painkillers, had three DUI convictions, and was driving with a suspended license.

In response, California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 482, requiring doctors to check a patient’s prescription history before prescribing any potentially dangerous drugs, including opioids.

Alternatives to medication

Although some prescriptions are necessary, patients will feel better about their situation when they have options. They want to trust their healthcare providers, and making them feel comfortable helps.

Healthcare providers need to support patients from all angles. Diet and exercise may not eliminate their condition entirely, but a change for the better will definitely help. Nutrition should be the number one focus for any patient, as what we eat literally becomes our body.

Chiropractic and massage therapy are both excellent choices for pain relief, and aids in recovery from injury. Topical pain relief can be found in the form of arnica and pure CBD oil. Arnica is often made into a gel, a cream, and as homeopathic pellets.

Some patients may be open to using acupuncture or acupressure as a supplement to their medication, if they aren’t able to stop taking it.

Policies should focus on empowering patients to recover in the safest way possible. Informing patients of alternatives to medication will achieve this goal.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

trauma costs
BusinessFinanceHospital Administration

Can We Squeeze the Waste Out of the High Cost of Trauma Care?

October 31, 2013

NYT: Social Media May Offer Avenues of Mental Health Disease Recognition & Treatment

February 25, 2012
biopharmaceuticals
BusinessFinanceHealth ReformHospital AdministrationMedical InnovationsPublic Health

The Price, Cost, and Value of Bio-Pharmaceutical Care

October 3, 2013
Hospital Social Media, Patient Engagement, Healthcare Marketing
BusinesseHealthSocial Media

Hospitals and Social Media: Are You Engaging the Right Audience?

April 20, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?