Join the National Consumers League to learn more about resources to protect yourself and your community against the risks of purchasing counterfeit drugs. Learn from experts about the consequences of counterfeit drugs, and the heightened risk presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. October 28, 2020 at 1:00PM Eastern Time ...

The Protecting Access to Pain Relief (PAPR) Coalition will host a webinar on July 29 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET concerning the many challenges associated with pain management during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The discussion will provide an overview of practical tools that are available for vulnerable populations with chronic illnesses, to adequately and ...

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) developed a new illustrative resource for healthcare providers to facilitate conversations with adult patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This multi-functional guide serves as a helpful tool for healthcare professionals when explaining the importance of understanding cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the reduction of CVD risk factors to their patients. BeMedWise ...

In recognition of Mental Health Month during the month of May, Allied Against Opioid Abuse partnered with Mental Health America of Virginia about the connection between mental health and prescription opioid abuse. During the current pandemic, access to mental health services is an even more important issue, so we are happy to share his insights ...

The Alliance for Aging Research and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) released a fact sheet called Staying Safe at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic.  This resource for seniors and people with disabilities includes information on why older adults and people with chronic diseases are at higher risk, ways to prevent the spread ...

Visit the National Consumers League’s, Fraud.org  to learn how to spot and avoid some of the many types of COVID-19 related scams including robocalls and stimulus check scams: two forms of fraud expected to increase due to the coronavirus.
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Safe Kids Worldwide released the 2020 Safe Kids Research Report: Keeping Kids Safe Around Medicine: Insights and Implications coinciding with the National Poison Prevention Week in March. The report summarizes recent research and reviews educational efforts and other interventions that have been implemented and have had a positive impact to improve medicine safety and proposes ...

President Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued new guidelines to help protect Americans during the global Coronavirus outbreak. Even if you are young and otherwise healthy, you are at risk—and your activities can increase the risk of contracting the Coronavirus for others. Everyone can do their part. The new recommendations are simple ...

The GSA NAVP workgroup has created a Social Distancing Guide ...

The situation around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is changing rapidly, and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is taking proactive steps to share the best information we have to protect the public’s health, especially among older adults. Now is the time to stay informed and follow basic tips to protect yourself and those around you ...

Heart failure (HF)–exacerbating medications are commonly used in older adults hospitalized for HF and are often continued or even initiated after hospitalization, according to the results of an observational study published on November 8, 2019, in Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study authors recommend strategies to improve safe prescribing in this patient ...

When out-of-pocket drug costs rise, patients with common neurological disorders are more likely to forgo their medication, a U.S. study suggests. Private insurance claims data show patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and peripheral neuropathy were more likely to cut back on prescription medications when out-of-pocket costs were high, researchers report in Neurology.
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Each year there are about 400,000 poison center calls and 50,000 ER visits as a result of young children ingesting medications when adults weren’t paying attention. A new study in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that more than half of the time when children get into prescription pills, the medication had already been removed from ...

On January 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the Coronavirus as a global health emergency. The virus first emerged from a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, in December 2019. Since then, it has paralyzed several cities around the world, metastasizing into a global public health and economic crisis.  Read more from the National Consumers League (NCL).
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BeMedWise will partner with National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day on February 22nd—an annual observance during American Hearth Month—to help spread awareness of the specific risks and symptoms of heart valve disease (HVD), improve detection and treatment, and ultimately saving lives. As many as 11 million Americans have HVD—a potentially disabling and deadly disease—yet 3 ...

Every day, 750 older Americans are hospitalized due to serious side effects from one more medications. The Lown Institute report Eliminating Medication Overload: A National Action Plan recommends a national strategy to help reduce medication-related harm that results in $62 billion annually on unnecessary hospitalizations and even premature death and builds on the findings from a 2019 ...

NCL has launched Fraud.org/FakeRx, a new digital consumer education campaign to address the growing global crisis of harmful counterfeit medications. The World Health Organization estimates that one in every 10 medical products circulating in developed countries is either substandard or fake, and nearly $83 billion in counterfeit drugs are sold annually ...

A new survey by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) reveals an untold story about the nation's opioid epidemic — how the crisis is eroding the quality of life of older adults and the ability of local organizations to serve them. NCOA surveyed more than 200 community-based organizations in the aging network from 40 states ...

HealthyWomen launched Aging Smart, Aging Well a nationwide initiative targeting the health information needs of midlife women, especially as they approach and experience menopause. In partnership with WebMD, HealthWomen also conducted a major research study that surveyed more than 3,100 women across a variety of socioeconomic, demographic and even menopausal stages to assess their attitudes, knowledge, and ...

One in eight adults with heart disease delays filling a prescription, takes less of the medication than prescribed or skips medications altogether due to high out-of-pocket costs, according to a study published in Circulation ...