New Mexico Health Connections | my connection | Spring 2017

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Keeping prescription
medications safe for you
This year, NMHC is partnering with OptumRx® , our pharmacy benefit
manager, to start a new program to promote the safe and effective use
of high-risk medications. This class of drugs includes those used to
treat moderate to severe pain.
As part of this program, you may encounter “safety edits” when
filling your prescriptions. The safety edits may limit the amount of
medication that you can fill. You may also need to talk with your
pharmacist or provider. OptumRx may send you a letter about this drug
program with a phone number for you to call if you have questions.
Here are four potential
pitfalls you want to avoid:
1. You fail to speak up. Did your doctor say to
take your medicine before—or after—meals?
Don’t guess when it comes to your medicine.
A wrong choice could make a drug less effec-
tive or cause serious problems.
Always ask your doctor or pharmacist ques-
tions if you don’t understand something about
your medications. You can also request that he
or she write information down for you.
2. You use multiple pharmacies. Getting all of
your prescriptions filled at just one pharmacy
helps protect your health. Your medication
records will be in a single place. This can help
the pharmacist spot any possible dangerous
interactions between your medications.
3. You overlook instructions. When a medi-
cine isn’t taken exactly as directed, it may do
more harm than good. Always read the in-
formation that comes with a medicine—and
follow your doctor’s or pharmacist’s advice for
taking it.
If you have a hard time remembering when
to take your medicine, keep a written or
computerized schedule. Or link taking the
medications with daily activities, such as eat-
ing a meal or going to bed.
4. You don’t stay the course. It’s important to
stick with a medication unless your doctor
tells you it’s OK to stop. Don’t stop taking a
drug just because:
• You feel better and think you don’t need
it anymore. Let your doctor make that
decision.
• You’re having bothersome side effects. Call
your doctor. He or she may be able to pre-
scribe a different drug with fewer side effects.
• You’re struggling to pay for it. If you can’t
afford a medication, ask your doctor about
generic drugs or other lower-cost options.
Sources: National Library of Medicine; U.S. Food and Drug Administration
SPRING 2017
MY CONNECTION is published as a health and wellness service for the members of
NEW MEXICO HEALTH CONNECTIONS. Information comes from a wide range of medical experts.
If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health,
please contact your primary care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations.
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medication
mistakes to
avoid
4
A re you doing the right things to make your
medicines work for you?
The medicines your doctor prescribes
are meant to improve your health. But you
could be making risky mistakes without even realizing it.
Have
diabetes?
Protect your
vision with a
simple test
Even if you have good control
of your blood glucose (blood
sugar), diabetes can cause vision
problems. Diabetic retinopathy
is the most common eye disease
among people with diabetes and
a leading cause of blindness for
American adults.
Once a year, you should have
a retinal screening. This can
be done by either a dilated eye
exam or a retinal photo exam. The
retinal photo exam is a painless
test that looks for signs of disease
in the retina, the sensitive
tissue at the back of the eye
that receives images and sends
signals to the brain about what
is seen.
•The technician takes pictures
of each eye with a medical
camera. You do not need to
have your eyes dilated.
•When each picture is taken,
you will see a flash of light for
less than a second.
•The test does not diagnose any
eye disease. It can only show
whether eye disease might be
present. So it is also important
for you to have a face-to-face
exam with your eye doctor
every year.
•The test is a covered benefit
under your health plan.
A yearly retinal screening
should be part of your overall
diabetes care plan. If it isn’t, talk
to your primary care provider
(PCP) or specialist providers
about getting one.
WHEN YOU GET A
RETINAL PHOTO EXAM:
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