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It’s a Mixed Bag
Interestingly enough, last week my husband witnessed someone getting beaten and robbed in broad daylight while getting our car serviced. Without giving it a second thought, he sprang into action and tackled the guy. He was able to hold the guy down long enough until police arrived and arrested the guy. He was hurt as he had also taken a beating (to a lesser degree) and had some contusions to his head and hand. I urged him to go to see a doctor at Urgent Care and after he checked out ok, he was given a couple new scripts for medications (Diclofenac Sodium & Cyclobenzaprine) to help alleviate the swelling and pain. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to see how much he knew about his meds.
With my trusty med app in hand I asked him 5 simple questions about each drug: What is the name of the drug? What is it for? When do you take it? How do you take it? And lastly, is there anything that you need to be aware of while taking the drug? I have to admit, I was pretty impressed by how much information he had retained from his meeting with the pharmacist. He was able to answer my questions and tell me that he also checked to make sure that there were no drug interactions with his daily beta blocker. I was able to help him identify some OTC NSAIDs that he would want to steer clear from while taking Diclofenac sodium. He did ask why he needed to take it with food and I explained the potential adverse effects of NSAID use.
But it seems to be a mixed bag when it comes to med knowledge. Over the weekend, I also asked some coworkers about some of the common OTC medications that they take such as Advil, Tylenol, and Alleve and I was surprised to find that the majority of the group could not tell me how they were alike or different from one another. Secondly, they didn’t really get the gist of how hard NSAIDs are can be on your stomach, as they all said that they usually take them on an empty stomach. I explained to them the importance of taking them with food and also which drugs are NSAIDs so that they could better understanding how easy it is to overdose on medications such as Aspirin, Advil and Alleve.
Drugs Drugs Drugs
I spoke with my mother and father regarding the medications they take and asked them a few questions. My dad doesn’t take any regular medications be he knew a lot about common over the counter drugs for pain and when you are sick, ect. (anti inflammatory, cold, cough, stomach pain medications). He also knows about the anti nausea/dizziness medications because he gets motion sickness sometimes when he travels. He was not really familiar with side effects to medications or the safe doses except what the bottle tells him.
My mom on the other hand has a few different health problems and has worked in the medical field for many years. Therefore, she is fairly familiar with different medications or at least the common classes of medications. She also knows a lot about alternative medications and practices. We have even used some alternative treatments. She takes a medication for her blood pressure- Bystolic (beta blocker). She knew what it is for and why she is taking it. She stated that Bystolic can cause your blood pressure to decrease too much and may cause a headache. Synthroid and Cytomel are other medications she takes due to hypothyroidism. She stated that she thinks these medications can cause tachycardia if she took too much of the drugs.
Drugs
During this week’s blog, I decided to interview two of my close friends about their knowledge regarding drugs and over-the-counter medications. I was really excited about this mini experiment because we are exposed to drugs almost every day. We see drugs being sold in stores, drugs advertised in the media, and drugs taken by our own family and friends. There’s also controversy regarding drugs that affect many people’s decisions whether they should take certain drugs or not. Surprisingly, my friends knew a good amount of information about drugs.
When asked about taking any current medications, one of my friends stated that he only took Advil as needed if he had a headache. My second friend stated that he was not currently taking any medications. I then asked them about their knowledge regarding over-the-counter medications and they both stated that they knew that different drugs were the same but had different names. They both explained that they knew about the importance of understanding the active ingredient. Both of my friends also explained about drug overdoses and how one of their friends had died. It was sad to hear this, but a great way to understand their knowledge.
After discussing several medications with my friends, I educated my friends about understanding different drugs and how they can each take effect at different times. I also encouraged them to go online and find a trusted website to learn more about different drugs, especially the drugs that they plan to take. I found this to be a great experience because both of my friends and I learned something new about each other and about the importance of drugs. Happy posting!
Medications
This week I talked to my mom and my fiance, Eddie, about their medications.
Eddie takes levothyroxine regularly. He knows it is also called synthroid. He knows this drug is for his thyroid and he is supposed to take it every morning, 1 hour before he eats. He does not know any side effects per say, but knows if he does not take it, he feels tired. OTC he takes Advil. He only knows this name and does not know the generic. When asked how often he can take it he responded, “however often the bottle says.”
My mom takes an inhaler for her asthma regularly. She could not remember the name as she has recently started taking it. She does not know any side effects. She knows she is to use as needed for her symptoms. When asked how she uses the inhalers she stated she puts her mouth on and inhales as she depresses. OTC she takes multivitamins and calcium supplements. She takes Advil for pain as needed. She knows it is also called ibuprofen. Also did not know frequency she could take but knows to read the bottle.
Who Knows About Drugs?
Who knows about drugs? Interestingly enough, not many people! I informally surveyed ten people, which included family members, friends, and classmates. The people who knew the most: moms. The least: classmates from other disciplines. This piece of knowledge seems intuitive given the fact that moms typically have a greater understanding with medication administration given their age and experience with raising children. Moreover, most college students are relatively healthy and only consume tylenol, aspirin, or various cold remedies when needed. My questions for each person were as follows: Do you know what acetaminophen is? Do you know the generic name of Tylenol? What is the difference between Ibuprofen, Motrin, and Advil? Do you know what a NSAID is? Do you ever consume cold/flu remedies and can you list any side effects associated with them? Are you aware of safe doses or even maximum doses of Tylenol or any other drugs? Are you familiar with any homeopathic remedies and if so, for what purpose(s) do you utilize them? Do you take any medications daily and if so, do you know the dose, side effects, and indication(s) of the drug(s)? Do you always finish taking your antibiotics in full?
Eight out of ten people did not know what acetaminophen is and similarly, only two people could tell me the generic name of Tylenol. Nobody knew the difference between Ibuprofen, Motrin, and Advil. Only three people claimed they have only heard of the word “NSAID;” nobody knew the meaning and that it was an acronym. With cold remedies, some claimed they have briefly read the side effects but admitted to only focusing on the front of the box, which lists the indications for using the drug; they then follow the directions for how frequently they can consume the drug. Four moms knew that the maximum dose for tylenol was 4 grams/day! Likewise, about half of the people I interviewed said they prefer to use homeopathic remedies mostly for stress, sleep aids, ADHD, and energy. The people that consume daily medications knew the basic reason for taking it such as “for my high blood pressure,” “for my heart,” and “for my anxiety and/or pain.” They were not aware of particular side effects but instead claimed they “feel fine” consuming these medications, but if something changed, would contact their medical provider. Only half of those who consume medications daily were aware of the actual dose. Many people admitted that they stop taking their antibiotics once they feel better so they can “save them for the next time they do not feel well and experience the same symptoms.”
I found that people were more aware of the names of illicit drugs rather than OTC drugs. When I originally asked them about “drugs” they immediately said, “do you mean heroin, Adderall, marijuana, speed and Vicodin?” But instead of just asking them questions, I printed out the questions for each person, folded the paper in half, and answered the questions for them to reference. Education is a priority in the nursing profession. If I was not at their house for the interview, I encouraged each of them to go home and look at the medication(s) they consume or the ones sitting in their medicine cabinet. I asked them to look at the daily dose, maximum dose, indication for use, side effects, expiration date, and generic versus trade name. Additionally I asked them to share the information I provided for them with at least one other person. Education is the key to awareness and as nurses, we need to expand the knowledge of others! 
Week 7 Hw
Since I worked today and work was probably going to be the most exposure to people that I was going to have, I decided to question co-workers; I asked a total of three co-workers.
Co-worker One: She is taking Accutane for acne. When asked what she knew about her medication she informed me that is it is for acne, she needs to stay out of the sun, she always needs to wear sunscreen, and she is on birth control because the medication can cause severe birth defects if she gets pregnant.
Co-worker two: She is taking Aspirin and blood pressure medications. When asked about what she knew about the Aspirin, she stated that she is taking it because of the stroke heart attack she had last year and the side effect she stated was bleeding.
Co-worker three: He uses the Nicoderm patch. When asked what he knew about the Nicoderm patch, he stated that he is using it to help him stop smoking, he cleans the area before putting it on or else “it won’t stick”, he changes a new patch every morning, and he applies them in a sequential order on his arms. With respect to side effects, all he stated was that he can become addicted to the patch.
In response to my co-workers’ answer I used my medication app and I just told them some basic information regarding their medications. Two of my co-workers seemed to really appreciate me educating them a little and the other didn’t seem very interested 
Countdown to the Nursing Pinning Ceremony
65 days left……
…Keep breathing…
