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FITNESS EALTH
FITNESS H EALTH
Aesthetic Dermatology, P.C.
MARVIN E. KLEIN, M.D.
CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF DERMATOLOGY
Phyllis Fine, RN, DNA
HAIR TRANSPLANTATION &
COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY CONSULTANT
FACIAL REJUVENATION
SKIN CANCER DETECTION & TREATMENT
COLLAGEN IMPLANTATION ACNE TREATMENT OF ACNE SCARRING
HAIR TRANSPLANTATION PSORIASIS
CHEMICAL PEELS
HAIR & NAIL SPECIALIST
ROGAIN EVALUATION
VEIN SCLEROSING
2 5 Years Experience
HOURS BY APPOINTMENT — EVENING HOURS
559-0620
18161 W. 13 Mile Rd. (just W. of Southfield Rd.)
Suite D-2
I DIAL KERATOTOMY "RK"
MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED
Thomas Millman, M.D. and Frank Derr, M.D.
cordially invite you
to an informational seminar about
RADIAL KERATOTOMY ("RK")
"RK" (SURGICAL CORRECTION FOR NEARSIGHTEDNESS)
SEE THE WORLD IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT!
WHERE:
WHEN:
TIME:
Millman-Derr Center for Eye Care
375 Barclay Circle, Rochester Hills
Every Wednesday
6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Call for limited reserved seating • Refreshments
(313) 852-3636
1-800-652-EYES
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Accredited by
Accreditation Association
for Ambulatory
Health Care Inc.
M
111101:
CENIT ER FOR EYE CARE.PC
NUTRITION CENTERS
NOW AVAILABLE...
1993 DISCOUNT
CARDS
At These Locations:
18
F
WEST BLOOMFIELD
BERKLEY
6738 Orchard Lake Road
South of Maple
2823 Coolidge
S. of 12 Mile Rd.
851-4740
543-9595
American Red Cross
Blood Services Southeastern Michigan Region
Older Patients
Should Be Wary
More than any other age
group, older Americans
must ask questions and be
assertive consumers of
both prescription and non-
prescription medication,
says University of
Michigan pharmacy Pro-
fessor Leslie A. Shrimp.
"Almost 12 percent of
the U.S. population is over
age 65 and approximately
90 percent of this age
group uses one or more
prescription medications,"
Mr. Shrimp said. "Eighty
percent of the elderly have
at least one chronic dis-
ease. As a group, they use
about 25 percent of all
prescribed medications
and large amounts of non-
prescription drugs."
Special problems are
associated with the use of
prescription medications
in older patients, said Mr.
Shrimp, who was a mem-
ber of former Gov. James
Blanchard's Task Force on
Prescription Drugs and
the Elderly. To avoid or
manage these problems,
Mr. Shrimp recommends
that older consumers:
• Get detailed instruc-
tions and information
about every medication
you take. "Becoming
knowledgeable is the first
step toward being a wise
consumer," Mr. Shrimp
said. "See yourself as an
active participant in your
health care."
• To maximize the safety
and effectiveness of pre-
scription medications, ask
your pharmacist for an
individualized daily med-
ication plan or chart that
shows when to take each
medicine, which ones to
take with food and which
medication combinations
to avoid.
• Organize medications
with pill-reminder con-
tainers or some other sys-
tem so that taking them
becomes a daily routine.
But don't dwell on it, Mr.
Shrimp said. "Medication
is supposed to improve the
quality of life, not become
an obsession."
• While serious adverse
reactions to prescription
medicines are rare, older
consumers can be more
sensitive to what Mr.
Shrimp calls "nuisance
side-effects," such as
upset stomach, headache,
dry mouth, constipation
and dizziness. "Common
illnesses associated with
aging, as well as normal
metabolism changes,
decrease the body's ability
to handle medication," Mr.
Shrimp said. "In some
cases, the standard adult
dose may be too much for
a frail, older patient."
• Pay attention to your
reaction to new medica-
tion. Many side effects
will disappear in seven to
10 days. If the condition
persists, ask your doctor
for an alternative choice.
• Read consumer litera-
ture and ask physicians
and pharmacists about
potential side effects, par-
ticularly if you take sever-
al prescription medicines.
• If you drink alcohol,
ask the doctor and phar-
macist how alcohol could
interact with your medica-
tion.
• If you cannot afford
the medications your doc-
tor prescribes, Mr. Shrimp
said, don't hesitate to say
Organize
medications
with pill-reminder
containers or
some other
system.
so. Ask your pharmacist
whether a generic or a
less expensive medication
is available — especially if
you are being treated for
chronic arthritis or high
blood pressure. Some
pharmaceutical manufac-
turers have special pro-
grams to provide certain
expensive medicines at
low cost to elderly pa-
tients who cannot afford
them. Ask your doctor
whether you are eligible
for these programs.
• Once you begin taking
prescribed medication,
don't stop taking it with-
out asking your doctor.
"People will often begin
taking the medication and
then stop suddenly until
they can afford to renew
the prescription," Mr.
Shrimp said. "This can be
very dangerous, because
the sudden cessation of
some medicines can cause
serious side-effects."
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