The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 02-16-2020 | Page 3

NORTHJERSEY.COM ❚ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 ❚ 3
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
H ospital i ndex
& U pdates
n Calling All Women: Have You Heard
Of Urogynecology?
n Did You Know That Heart Disease
Is Preventable?
Pages 5 & 20
PHOTO COURTESY OF
VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM
Pharmacist Gita
Natovich, Pharm D,
consults with
a patient at the
retail pharmacy
located on the first
floor of The Valley
Hospital, Ridgewood.
One of three in
the Valley Health
System, the retail
pharmacy is open to
the public, in addition
to patients and
Valley employees.
n Healthy Heart and Healthy Lifestyle.
n Morristown Medical Center Expands
Cardiac Care.
Pages 6 & 7
n At-Home Sleep Test: WatchPAT
Device Can Identify Sleep Apnea
Condition Without an Overnight Stay
In the Sleep Center.
Pages 8 & 9
Manage Your Medications
Safely and Effectively
By LESLIE PERLMUTTER
Special to Health Quarterly
A
ccording to the National Institutes of Health,
concurrent use of multiple prescription drugs
— known as polypharmacy — is increasingly com-
mon, with 10 percent of the population and 30
percent of older adults in the United States taking five
or more drugs simultaneously. And the definition of
“polypharmacy” is somewhat elastic; Nancy Palamara,
director of Pharmacy Services at Holy Name Medical
Center, notes that “Anybody who is on more than three
medications can be defined as polypharmacy, and this
can set them up for difficulties.”
Carlo Lupano, Pharmacy manager of The Valley
Hospital, adds, “Sometimes I consult with patients who
are on more than 30 medications.” While complications
such as drug interactions, side effects, and high costs
can complicate matters, Palamara and Lupano have
practical advice for patients to effectively and safely
manage their medications.
Drug interactions are a huge concern; they can make
a medication less effective, cause unexpected side
effects, and/or increase the action of a particular drug.
It is important to note that mixing prescription drugs
with over-the-counter drugs, as well as supplements,
and even certain foods and beverages can lead to dan-
gerous interactions and reactions.
Lupano advises: “To manage drug interactions, really
the answer is to use one pharmacy. Always use the
same pharmacy; they will have your history and they
can use software to look backwards through your his-
tory and do a drug interaction check.”
Palamara has similar advice, but adds: “If it is not
possible to use just one pharmacy, make sure that you
give a complete list of all of your medications, including
See FIT FOR LIFE Page 4
a dvertiser i ndex
Englewood Hospital
And Medical Center Hackensack Meridian
Health HUMC
Atlantic Health System RWJ Barnabas Health Visiting Physician Services
Page 7
Holy Name Medical Center
Page 9
Pages 10 & 11
Page 15
RWJ
Barnabas
HEALTH
n Innovative Procedure Called TAVR
Gives More Patients the Option
Of Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve
Replacement.
Pages 14 & 15
n HUMC Launches Life-Saving Kidney
Transplant Technology.
n Hackensack Is First Hospital in U.S. to
Implant Congestive Heart Failure Device.
Pages 16 & 17
H ealtH Q Uarterly
WINTER 2020
Professional Hearing
Aid Center
Page 2
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Pages 10 & 11
Page 17
Page 19
Valley Health System
Page 20
North Jersey Media Group
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PO Box 471
Woodland Park, NJ 07424-0471
Health Quarterly/Winter 2020
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