When sharing is not caring
Americans are a generous bunch, always there to lend a hand. But one thing you may want to consider doing, as a generous American, is being greedy with any prescription meds you may have tucked away in your medicine cabinet.
Because as it turns out, a survey of Americans shows their generosity includes sharing their prescriptions with their family and friends.
Let's say you were given a prescription for painkillers to handle the pain from a slip you took on the ice last winter. You don't finish the prescription, but don't toss the remainder either, "just in case." Never know when you'll take another spill, so no point getting rid of those pills, right?
But your cousin Larry drops by and is having a hard time getting comfy on your couch due to a muscle he pulled in his back while moving furniture yesterday. You offer him the rest of those pills to help him get past the worst of those muscle spasms.
Problem is, that prescription was for you, based on your medical history. And that may not necessarily be what's best for cousin Larry. In fact, you may be putting his life in jeopardy if he has an adverse reaction.
I hear all the time about the people sharing antibiotics, which are supposed to be used up in their entirety—not kept for a rainy day. You pass them along to a family member who self-diagnoses (and when a natural remedy would have more than likely worked better) and next thing you know, you're helping to build that army of antibiotic-immune germs. And since there's nothing in our rainy-day arsenals that would combat those, it's time to start rethinking our idea of sharing.
Share a loaf of bread, half of your stock of salba or a bushel of crabs. But whatever you do, don't share your prescription meds—leave it to the doctors who are responsible for diagnosing and monitoring a patient on those heavy-duty drugs.
