Author: Lydia Ashcroft - Page 2

Travel and Weight Management: How to Eat Smart at Airports and Restaurants

Learn how to eat smart while traveling-avoid airport food traps, choose balanced meals, and stay on track with weight management without sacrificing flavor or convenience.

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Insurance Prior Authorization for Generic Alternatives: How Pharmacists Navigate Policies

Prior authorization for generic alternatives is a cost-control tool used by insurers that often delays patient care. Pharmacists play a key role in navigating complex rules, submitting documentation, and advocating for timely approvals.

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Grapefruit and Grapefruit Juice: Which Medications Are Affected and Why

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can dangerously increase levels of certain medications by blocking a key enzyme in the gut. This interaction affects statins, blood pressure drugs, and immunosuppressants, raising risks of muscle damage, kidney failure, and overdose. Avoidance is the only safe option.

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Barcode Scanning in Pharmacies: How It Prevents Dispensing Errors

Barcode scanning in pharmacies prevents up to 86% of medication errors by verifying the right patient, drug, dose, route, and time. Learn how it works, where it fails, and why it's the gold standard for safety.

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FDA Facility Inspections: How the Agency Ensures Quality in Manufacturing

FDA facility inspections ensure drug, device, and food safety through risk-based oversight. Learn how inspections work, what causes failures, and how to prepare effectively with real data and proven strategies.

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Cough Suppressants and MAOIs: Dextromethorphan Interaction Risks

Dextromethorphan in cough syrups can cause life-threatening serotonin syndrome when taken with MAOIs. Learn the risks, symptoms, safe alternatives, and how to avoid this deadly interaction.

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Digital Pill Sensors: How They Track Medication Use and Detect Side Effects

Digital pill sensors track whether you take your medication and can detect early signs of side effects through wearable patches and AI. Used in mental health and chronic disease care, they improve adherence and reduce hospitalizations - but privacy and cost remain challenges.

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When Doctors Say 'Do Not Substitute': Why Some Prescriptions Must Stay Brand-Name

Learn why doctors sometimes require brand-name drugs instead of generics. Discover when 'Do Not Substitute' prescriptions are medically necessary - and when they might not be.

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Compounding Pharmacies: What to Do When Your Medication Isn't Available

When your medication is unavailable due to shortages or allergies, compounding pharmacies offer custom-made alternatives tailored to your needs. Learn how they work, when they’re the right choice, and how to access them safely.

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How to Address Stigma When Discussing Mental Health Medications

Learn how to reduce stigma when discussing mental health medications through evidence-based communication, provider strategies, and real-life approaches that normalize treatment and improve adherence.

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Noninvasive Liver Fibrosis Tests: FibroScan and Serum Scores Explained

FibroScan and serum scores like FIB-4 offer safe, accurate ways to check liver scarring without biopsy. Learn how they work, when to use each, and why combining them cuts unnecessary procedures by 70%.

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Unannounced FDA Inspections: Why Surprise Visits Are Critical for Drug and Food Safety

Unannounced FDA inspections ensure real-world compliance in drug and food manufacturing. Since May 2025, surprise visits now apply to foreign facilities too-no advance notice, no staging, just truth. Here’s how to get ready.

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