AARP Prescription for Drug Alternatives

AARP Prescription for Drug Alternatives

Author: James F. Balch

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-04-30

Total Pages: 628

ISBN-13: 1118244532

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AARP Digital Editions offer you practical tips, proven solutions, and expert guidance. James Balch and Mark Stengler, coauthors of the hugely successful Prescription for Natural Cures, and Robin Young Balch have teamed up to create the most comprehensive and up-to-date book available on natural alternatives to prescription medications. The book provides natural, safe, and effective ways to treat a wide range of common ailments, including ADHD, allergies, diabetes, depression, erectile dysfunction, eczema, heart disease, headaches, and PMS. You'll read in-depth information, not found in any other popular book, about the pros and cons of prescription and over-the-counter drugs compared with natural treatment alternatives ranging from diet and lifestyle changes to supplements and herbal medicines. "This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to take charge of his or her health. Read it to live long and well." —Hyla Cass, M.D., author of Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know about Nutrition "An outstanding resource for comparing common pharmaceutical and holistic treatments." —Ronald M. Lawrence, M.D., coauthor of Preventing Arthritis and The Miracle of MSM "A must-read for every person who wants to achieve better health and avoid the dangers of synthetic medications. The authors do an exceptional job by telling you everything you need to know about getting well and how to use supplements correctly and safely." —Suzy Cohen, R.Ph., author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist


Natural Alternatives (o T C) to Over-The-counter and Prescription Drugs

Natural Alternatives (o T C) to Over-The-counter and Prescription Drugs

Author: Michael & N D Murray

Publisher: William Morrow

Published: 1994-03-24

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 9780688123581

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Is there really a safer, more effective natural alternative to most prescription and over-the-counter medicines?The answer is yes. In this groundbreaking book, Michael T. Murray provides specific natural alternatives to some of the drugs most used by Americans, including Tagamet, Prednisone, Seldane, and Zantac, as well as alternatives to over-the-counter drugs used to treat acne, high cholesterol, hay fever, heartburn, insomnia, and many other common ailments. Naturopathic physician Michael T. Murray discusses the effectiveness, and the unwanted side effects, of many of the drugs used today. He then shows how these drugs can be replaced with less expensive natural remedies whose medicinal benefits have been proven in clinical studies. Murray discusses dozens of herbal remedies, vitamins and minerals, extracts, and ointments, and shows how each can be used to bring relief from specific ailments. With easy-to-understand charts, graphs, and tables throughout, the book offers detailed, practical information that will help readers live a fuller, healthier life -- free from pharmaceutical medicines. As Dr. Alan R. Gaby writes in his Foreword: "Because of the efforts of Dr. Murray and others, the medical profession is slowly becoming aware that there are legitimate alternatives to drugs and surgery. As the research and data supporting natural medicine continue to increase, and as the limitations and dangers of conventional medicine become more widely appreciated, natural medicine will emerge as the only reasonable alternative."


Making Medicines Affordable

Making Medicines Affordable

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2018-03-01

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 0309468086

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Thanks to remarkable advances in modern health care attributable to science, engineering, and medicine, it is now possible to cure or manage illnesses that were long deemed untreatable. At the same time, however, the United States is facing the vexing challenge of a seemingly uncontrolled rise in the cost of health care. Total medical expenditures are rapidly approaching 20 percent of the gross domestic product and are crowding out other priorities of national importance. The use of increasingly expensive prescription drugs is a significant part of this problem, making the cost of biopharmaceuticals a serious national concern with broad political implications. Especially with the highly visible and very large price increases for prescription drugs that have occurred in recent years, finding a way to make prescription medicinesâ€"and health care at largeâ€"more affordable for everyone has become a socioeconomic imperative. Affordability is a complex function of factors, including not just the prices of the drugs themselves, but also the details of an individual's insurance coverage and the number of medical conditions that an individual or family confronts. Therefore, any solution to the affordability issue will require considering all of these factors together. The current high and increasing costs of prescription drugsâ€"coupled with the broader trends in overall health care costsâ€"is unsustainable to society as a whole. Making Medicines Affordable examines patient access to affordable and effective therapies, with emphasis on drug pricing, inflation in the cost of drugs, and insurance design. This report explores structural and policy factors influencing drug pricing, drug access programs, the emerging role of comparative effectiveness assessments in payment policies, changing finances of medical practice with regard to drug costs and reimbursement, and measures to prevent drug shortages and foster continued innovation in drug development. It makes recommendations for policy actions that could address drug price trends, improve patient access to affordable and effective treatments, and encourage innovations that address significant needs in health care.


Mind Over Meds

Mind Over Meds

Author: Andrew Weil

Publisher: Little, Brown Spark

Published: 2017-04-25

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 0316352985

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Too many Americans are taking too many drugs -- and it's costing us our health, happiness, and lives. Prescription drug use in America has increased tenfold in the past 50 years, and over-the-counter drug use has risen just as dramatically. In addition to the dozens of medications we take to treat serious illnesses, we take drugs to help us sleep, to keep us awake, to keep our noses from running, our backs from aching, and our minds from racing. Name a symptom, there's a pill to suppress it. Modern drugs can be miraculously life-saving, and many illnesses demand their use. But what happens when our reliance on powerful pharmaceuticals blinds us to their risks? Painful side effects and dependency are common, and adverse drug reactions are America's fourth leading cause of death. In Mind over Meds, bestselling author Dr. Andrew Weil alerts readers to the problem of overmedication, and outlines when medicine is necessary, and when it is not. Dr. Weil examines how we came to be so drastically overmedicated, presents science that proves drugs aren't always the best option, and provides reliable integrative medicine approaches to treating common ailments like high blood pressure, allergies, depression, and even the common cold. With case histories, healthy alternative treatments, and input from other leading physicians, Mind over Meds is the go-to resource for anyone who is sick and tired of being sick and tired.


Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries

Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries

Author: Dean T. Jamison

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2006-04-02

Total Pages: 1449

ISBN-13: 0821361805

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Based on careful analysis of burden of disease and the costs ofinterventions, this second edition of 'Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition' highlights achievable priorities; measures progresstoward providing efficient, equitable care; promotes cost-effectiveinterventions to targeted populations; and encourages integrated effortsto optimize health. Nearly 500 experts - scientists, epidemiologists, health economists,academicians, and public health practitioners - from around the worldcontributed to the data sources and methodologies, and identifiedchallenges and priorities, resulting in this integrated, comprehensivereference volume on the state of health in developing countries.


Natural Alternatives to Vioxx, Celebrex & Other Anti-inflammatory Prescription Drugs

Natural Alternatives to Vioxx, Celebrex & Other Anti-inflammatory Prescription Drugs

Author: Carol Simontacchi

Publisher: Square One Health Guides

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780757002786

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Beyond today's headlines and pharmaceutical spin is an underlying truth--COX-2 inhibitor drugs can be extremely dangerous to your health. While this class of drugs does relieve pain and inflammation, the potential for heart attack and stroke has proventoo great a risk for many. For those who are now looking for other options, health expert Carol Simontacchi has put together a simple guide to using safer natural alternatives. Written in easy-to-understand language, here is a book that provides solid information about nature's most effective treatments. The book begins by examining the causes of arthritis pain and inflammation. It looks first at the pharmaceutical approach to dealing with this condition, and then at the holistic approach. This is followed by a concise discussion of the most effective natural supplements available, including curcumin, cat's claw, fish oil, ginger root, glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and SierraSil. Each supplement is examined for its method of action, scientific documentation, and proper dosage. Important information is included on identifying the best natural products. Clearly, there is a place for drugs, but becoming a human guinea pig should not be part of the equation. Although natural product companies may not have the advertising dollars enjoyed by the pharmaceutical industry, the beneficial effects of natural remedies should not be overlooked. "Natural Alternatives to Vioxx, Celebrex & Other Anti-Inflammatory Prescription Drugs" provides a vital resource for those looking for a safer solution.


Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic

Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-09-28

Total Pages: 483

ISBN-13: 0309459575

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Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.


Prescription or Poison?

Prescription or Poison?

Author: Amitava Dasgupta

Publisher: Turner Publishing Company

Published: 2011-02-15

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 0897935977

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From echinacea to ayurvedics, this book explains how toxic these remedies are alone or in combination with other widely prescribed drug treatments. For example, one should avoid most herbal remedies when pregnant because of pesticides and preservatives required in growth and storage of the herbs; a widely used herbal antidepressant called kava does damage to the liver; most ayurvedic medicines contain unacceptable levels of lead and other heavy metals; St. John's Wort is not recommended if you are taking a medication for any chronic medical condition. Dr. Dasgupta explains in simple, engaging prose what drug interactions are and why they are dangerous. Most educated people see herbal remedies as "natural" and therefore "safe." Dr. Dasgupta tells us that one of his first pharmacology professors taught him that "medicine" is just another word for "poison" and should be treated with the same respect. He will present a balanced account of efficacy and safety of herbal medicines with discussion on potentially unsafe and toxic remedies. This book will be written in layman’s language for the consumer health market but will be based on solid medical research and published reports in the medical literature.


Guidelines for the Psychosocially Assisted Pharmacological Treatment of Opioid Dependence

Guidelines for the Psychosocially Assisted Pharmacological Treatment of Opioid Dependence

Author: World Health Organization. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 133

ISBN-13: 9241547545

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"These guidelines were produced by the World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) a Guidelines Development Group of technical experts, and in consultation with the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) secretariat and other WHO departments. WHO also wishes to acknowledge the financial contribution of UNODC and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to this project. " - p. iv