As we age, our bodies change- and so do our health needs. Many older adults live with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, arthritis, or diabetes, and these often require medication. But what happens when medications start to pile up? That's where polypharmacy comes in. Polypharmacy is just a fancy word for when someone takes multiple medications at the same time. While sometimes necessary, polypharmacy can also bring serious risks. Why Polypharmacy Matters Taking sev

Image credit: Freepik What is Cannabis? Cannabis commonly known as marijuana, is the dried parts of the marijuana plant. It contains more than eighty biologically active chemical compounds that can alter your mood, thoughts, and consciousness. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the commonly known compounds in the cannabis plant. THC is the compound know to give you the "high" with marijuana use. How is Cannabis used? Cannabis is used for medicinal pu

Paracetamol (acetaminophen), reduces fever and relieves mild to moderate pain. It is a widely available over-the-counter drug sold under various brand names, including Tylenol and Panadol.   Because pregnant women often face limits on what medications are considered “safe,” paracetamol is typically recommended as the first-line option when something is needed. However, over the past years, there has been increasing scientific scrutiny about whether paracetamol might carry ri

Stoppage Rate of Semaglutide Use According to data reported by Reimar Thomsen, MD, PhD, of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, about 52% (40,262 of 77310) adults without diabetes who took semaglutide for weight loss ceased to take the medication after 12 months, while about 18% of the adults stopping to take Wegovy injection within 3 months, 31% within 6 months, and 42% within 9 months. Thomsen noted at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeti

What are antibiotics? Antibiotics are chemical agents that inhibit the growth of bacteria by either killing them or stopping them from growing. They are used in the treatment and prevention of diseases. Antibiotics have improved the life span of human due to their positive outcomes in the management of many bacterial infections Antibiotics resistance This is the ability for a microorganism (bacteria) to thrive in the presence of antibiotic treatment, which has been previously

First responders are those who work in emergency medical services (EMS) and are trained to address emergencies outside of the health clinic or hospital. A common belief is that EMS are ambulance drivers. While transport to hospitals can be part of EMS, the work requires much more. Assessing scene safety, rapid identification of life threatening emergencies, and applying life saving measures are also core parts of the job. Careers in EMS attract those who are interested in lea

Imagine a medicine that works like a missile . It finds diseased cells and delivers a tiny dose of radiation right where it’s needed. That’s what radiopharmaceuticals do. They are drugs that carry a radioactive atom attached to a molecule that knows how to find a specific target in the body. They could direct the radioactivity to specific cells, tissues, or biological pathways, and are used both to image disease (diagnostic tracers) and to treat disease (therapeutic radiophar

Prevalence of Obesity in the US According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, between August 2021 and August 2023, the prevalence of obesity in adults was 40.3%. Obesity is considered a chronic condition that increases the risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Furthermore, prevalence of obesity has continued to increase among both men and women between 1999 and 2018. GLP-1 Receptor Agonist as

Paracetamol and ibuprofen are two of the most common painkillers which you can get over the counter at a pharmacy and are widely available for purchase in many shops. But many people don't know the difference between the two, which means many people struggle to know what may be best for them. Drug mechanisms: Paracetamol Paracetamol, sometimes sold under the names Tylenol, Panadol and many others, is used for various types of pain, from headaches, to tooth ache, to period pai

Introduction Cancer is a major global public health challenge, claiming approximately 10 million lives in 2020 alone. Over the past decades, cytotoxic chemotherapy has been the cornerstone of cancer treatment, featuring common drugs such as cisplatin, paclitaxel, and methotrexate. While these agents effectively kill tumor cells, their lack of specificity inevitably damages normal tissues, leading to severe side effects that limit clinical application. Balancing therapeutic ef

Sana, a 28-year-old marketing executive, felt a mild headache after a long day at work. Without thinking much, she grabbed an OTC painkiller from the corner store. ‘It’s just a headache,’ she thought. But over the next few days, she started experiencing stomach cramps, dizziness, and fatigue that interfered with her meetings and workouts. “I didn’t think an OTC pill could do this,” she admitted. She isn’t alone. Millions of people treat OTC medications as harmless quick fixe

Introduction What if treating cancer could be as simple as taking a pill — but not just any pill, a smart pill  that travels through your body, locates the tumor, and delivers medication exactly where it’s needed? This vision is becoming more realistic as researchers develop capsule-targeted drug delivery systems , designed to improve treatment outcomes while reducing side effects. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which circulates through the entire body and often causes unwa

Introduction Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent a novel class of anticancer drugs that “bundle” targeted antibodies with potent chemotherapeutic agents, delivering them directly to cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells. The first HER2-targeted ADC, trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DM1), received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2013 for treating HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients. It gained approval for adjuvant therapy in 2019,

ACP-319 Report-Drug and Patient use and information Age group Adults: aged 18 and over. ( ClinicalTrials.gov ,2022) Drug action The PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase)-pathway is a cellular signalling pathway, that regulates cell proliferation and growth but overstimulating growth of these cells can cause cancer/tumours, such as Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL). (Uko, Guner, Matesic and Bowen, 2020). ACP-319 is a PI3K Inhibitor, meaning it inhibits the progression of thi

Understanding Peanut Allergy and the Role of Palforzia   Peanut allergy affects 1-2% of people in the United States, making it one of the most common food allergies (1). This happens when the immune system mistakes proteins in peanuts for harmful substances. When this occurs, the body releases chemicals that trigger allergic reactions, which can range from mild symptoms to life-threatening anaphylaxis (2).   Peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts, and are related to soybeans, pea

This Photo  by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY By Jennifer Navarro MSN, RN, NPD-BC What is pain? Pain is described as an uncomfortable feeling—both physical and emotional—that can happen when your body is hurt or healing, or even when there’s a risk of injury. It’s a personal experience, and only you know how it feels to you. According to the American Pain Society pain is defined as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tis

Chemical structure of atorvastatin, showing functional groups such as -OH and -COOH and fluorophenyl groups. Image courtesy of DrugBank [1]. Pharmacies are equipped for prescribing hundreds of types of drugs to the public, but their most frequently prescribed drug in countries like England and the USA, is none other than atorvastatin. Atorvastatin belongs to the statin class of drugs, which essentially helps lower cholesterol that is made inside your body. Cholesterol is made

Ordering prescriptions online has become more common than ever. For many people, online pharmacies offer lower prices, greater convenience, and the comfort of home delivery. But with those benefits come important questions about safety, legality, and quality. Here’s what you should know before filling your prescriptions online. Are Online Pharmacies Safe? The short answer: some are, and some aren’t. Licensed online pharmacies follow the same safety rules as your local pharmac

Emma woke up with a sore throat and a mild fever. A friend told her, “I have some antibiotics left from last time, take them, you’ll feel better fast.” Trusting the advice, Emma took the pills without a doctor’s prescription. What she didn’t realize was that her sore throat was most likely caused by a virus, which antibiotics cannot treat. This small choice, repeated by millions worldwide, is adding fuel to one of the greatest health challenges of our time. A hand holding a h

TAR-200 is a groundbreaking, pretzel-shaped drug-device designed to transform the treatment landscape for patients with high-risk...