The recent deaths of celebrities like Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, and Whitney Houston have shown a spotlight on the overuse and abuse of prescription drugs. Most people believe that prescription drugs are safer than illegal substances. But, when combined with other over-the-counter sedatives, prescription drugs can be every bit as powerful, addictive, and dangerous. In 2006, overdoses on a class of prescription pain relievers called opioid analgesics killed more people than those killed by overdoses on cocaine and heroin combined. Right now, among 35 to 54 year olds, poisoning by prescription drugs is the most common cause of accidental death—even more so than auto-related deaths. In Medicines That Kill, Dr. Marcum shines a light on the addictive power of prescription medication and how you can protect yourself and your family by practicing healthy habits.

* Over 600 drugs the government lists as useless and worthless.* You are Educated to take worthless Drugs* Learn why the government allows them to be sold* Learn the psychological tricks of the drug companies* People are dying because their useless drugs do not work* Stop wasting your money on junk medicines* Protect yourself from harmful useless drugs* Patients and health practitioners should know the unsafe drugs

Since prescription drugs can be obtained legally and found in medicine cabinets in young adults’ own homes, there is a perception that they are not as dangerous as other types of drugs. However, abuse of prescriptions can have hazardous—sometimes even deadly—consequences, which readers discover in great detail. Enlightening charts and sidebars augment the discussion of prescription drug abuse, and a list of websites provides resources for those who may already be struggling with this addiction.

A veteran board-certified pharmacist cites the high number of annual deaths associated with prescription drug side effects, calling for changes in prescription practices that account for the needs of aging bodies.

In an epidemic of overmedication, who can you turn to for help? You most certainly know someone whose life depends on the prescription drugs they take: it may be your husband, who takes sleeping pills to counteract the anxiety his heart medications cause him, or it may be your aging father, who takes upwards of twenty pills a day for everything from arthritis to high blood pressure. But we’ve all read the headlines: prescription drugs can kill you. If that’s the case, why are so many Americans, particularly those sixty and older, given so many pills, with no regard to how they interact with one another? Fifth-generation pharmacist Armon B. Neel, Jr., is on a mission to help patients understand how the medications they take can affect them—for better or worse. As a consulting pharmacist, he visits hospitals and nursing homes daily and counsels patients on how their prescriptions may be interacting dangerously with one another, and how they can reduce the number of medications they’re taking. Armon’s recommendations have been estimated to save $2.5 million a year in health-care costs, and more important, he’s saved thousands of lives. In 2010, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists gave Armon its annual achievement award. The organization then announced that Neel so personified excellence in the field that the award would be renamed for him. In Are Your Prescriptions Killing You?, Armon reveals what you and your loved ones need to know about the risks, dangers, and benefits of prescription drugs. He explains what needs to be taken into account when prescribing medication to older patients and the catastrophic results that can occur when they’re not. Writing with veteran journalist Bill Hogan, Armon gives you the information you need to be certain that you’re getting the right dosage of the right medicine, and he arms you with the most effective questions to ask doctors. Armon also provides his own prescription for changing what he sees as the broken health-care system in the United States. Rich with real-life case studies, this groundbreaking book offers older people, who are most at risk—and the boomers who often care for them—a road map to better health. This gripping narrative provides essential information for anyone who depends on prescription medications, and reading it may save a loved one’s life.

Pharmacists face ethical choices constantly -- sometimes dramatic life-and-death decisions, but more often subtle, less conspicuous choices that are nonetheless important. Among the topics confronted are assisted suicide, conscientious refusal, pain management, equitable distribution of drug resources within institutions and managed care plans, confidentiality, and alternative and non-traditional therapies. Veatch and Haddad's book, first published in 1999, was the first collection of case studies based on the real experiences of practicing pharmacists, for use as a teaching tool for pharmacy students. The second edition accounts for the many changes in pharmacy since 1999, including assisted suicide in Oregon, the purchasing of less expensive drugs from Canada, and the influence of managed care on prescriptions. The presentation of some cases is shortened, most are revised and updated, and two new chapters have been added. The first new chapter presents a new model for analyzing cases, while the second focuses on the ethics of new drug distribution systems, for example hospitals where pharmacists are forced to choose drugs based on cost-effectiveness, and internet based pharmacies.

"Deadly Medicine tells the dramatic story of a great tragedy involving a class of drugs still on the market. It reveals why the same medical system that brings us lifesaving treatments can create a catastrophe almost beyond imagining." "The story begins with a new heart drug created in the research laboratories of the 3M Company. In animals, this drug appears unusually effective in suppressing irregular heartbeats. Hoping for a blockbuster, 3M launches clinical tests in humans and plans how to seize the market from competing companies. But as medical researchers test Tambocor, as the drug is called, the first signs of potential trouble appear. At Stanford University, a doctor warns that this type of powerful drug may be dangerous. Other experiments fail to demonstrate the expected benefits of such drugs. But with the support of their clinical doctors and with millions of dollars invested in Tambocor, 3M moves ahead and seeks approval from the FDA. Other companies also follow suit with similar drugs." "Questions about the safety of Tambocor have already reached the medical review staff at the FDA in Washington, D.C., where a behind-the-scenes drama takes place. 3M presses for approval of Tambocor, while the FDA staff tries to interpret the meaning of reports that some patients who have taken the drug suddenly drop dead. Without a green light from the FDA, Tambocor may be doomed." "The final chapters in the story unfold as 3M gets to the marketplace and, using all the skills of a modern pharmaceutical manufacturer, persuades doctors to use Tambocor. At the same time, an important clinical trial begins. The National Institutes of Health launch an experiment with more than a thousand patients to measure the benefits of Tambocor and two similar drugs. The shocking results of that study and the response of the doctors and companies who promoted these drugs bring the tragedy to a powerful conclusion." "Deadly Medicine is a human story about the brilliant and driven doctors who worked on Tambocor and similar heart drugs - at pharmaceutical companies, within the FDA, and at university medical research centers. It provides a vivid and disturbing account of the system by which drugs are discovered, tested, and marketed to doctors. Through the tragic story of how tens of thousands of patients died prematurely from one class of heart drugs, Deadly Medicine also exposes major flaws in this system."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved