New Project Targets Preventable Medication Problems, Which Kill 34 Americans in Their Homes Each Day
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Last February, the non-profit Pharmacy Foundation of California (PFC) announced a new program to increase patients’ knowledge about their medications through a free Web-based drug safety monitoring service. This tool, which is available at SafeMedService.org, offers personalized medication safety reports, timely safety alerts, and product recall information using feeds from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and major drug manufacturers.
In an effort to extend the reach of this life saving tool, the non-profit Pharmacy Foundation of California is launching an effort to train student pharmacists to participate in community health fairs and help consumers use its SafeMedService to obtain a free personalized safety report that screens for potential medication duplications, drug-drug and drug-disease interactions. Consumers will also be given the opportunity to register on SafeMedService.org to receive important email alerts pertaining to the safety of the medications they take.
The first of these outreach events is occurring on Friday October 8, between 10:00 am and 12:30 pm at the Hart Senior Center in Sacramento. The event is part of a health fair being held in celebration of American Pharmacists Month.
As medication use becomes increasingly commonplace in our society, ensuring its safe use is paramount. This is particularly important for consumers who obtain medications from a variety of different prescribers and pharmacies as this increases their risk for serious harm from accidental medication duplications and drug interactions.
Amazingly, medication errors such as these cost the US well over $3.5 billion annually, and kill 34 people in their home each day according to a 2008 study. “It is all too easy in today’s healthcare system for patients to take medications home without receiving the necessary screening, tools, information, and ongoing monitoring they need to safely use them,” said Dr. Michael Negrete, CEO of the Pharmacy Foundation of California. “This free service is a valuable tool that patients and family caregivers can use to help their doctors and pharmacists prevent serious medication harm.”
“If we can get more patients to utilize this service, not only will we help save precious health care dollars, but we will save lives,” said Dr. Sonya Frausto, a faculty member at the California NorthState College of Pharmacy who helped recruit and train students for Friday’s event. “This is a simple tool that can play a critical role in reversing a growing medication errors trend, and student pharmacists are an incredible resource for helping consumers obtain its benefits.”
CONTACT:
Pharmacy Foundation of California
Michael J. Negrete, 916-779-1410 x333
PharmD
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Seniors Health Hospitals Pharmaceutical Consumer Managed Care
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