Health Matters: Back to school medication management - Global News

People who return expired or unused medications to the Shoppers Drug Mart at 1183 16th Ave. E. in Owen Sound between Oct. 4 and 10 can get a voucher for a free ticket to an Owen Sound Attack regular-season home game. The Attacking Medication Misuse campaign is a partnership between Grey Bruce Public Health and the Attack, now in its fourth year. It ends Oct. 10 or when the vouchers run out, whichever comes first. The campaign accepts prescription and over-the-counter medications, including pills, tablets, creams and natural health products. “Bringing expired or unused medications to a pharmacy for proper disposal ensures they do not end up in the wrong hands or in our waterways, landfills, or soil,” said Jason Weppler, manager of Grey Bruce Public Health’s comprehensive health promotion program. According to Health Canada, medications left in the home can be taken by mistake, can interact dangerously with other drugs, or can be taken by someone they weren’t prescribed for. Public Health advises against flushing medications, pouring them down the drain or throwing them in the garbage. Participants will be asked to fill out a form listing what they are returning.

Among cancer patients, the high financial cost of cancer care is a prevalent problem. This financial burden is also associated with potentially harmful behavioral strategies that patients might use to cope with costs, such as delaying or forgoing treatment and skipping medications. Collectively, researchers refer to this impact as financial toxicity.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) could transform diabetes management for millions of Americans with type 2 diabetes who don't take insulin, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The clinical trial found that adults using CGMs spent approximately five additional hours each day within their target blood sugar range compared with those receiving routine care. Nearly twice as many CGM users also achieved an A1c level below 7%, a common treatment goal for people with diabetes.