Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse, Inc. |
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SCoSA promotes Substance Abuse Free Environments [SAFE] | |
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| About SCoSA | Community Initiatives | SAFE | Member Partners | Resource Center | Teen/Youth | SCoSA News | | |
Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse, Inc. |
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SCoSA promotes Substance Abuse Free Environments [SAFE] | |
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| About SCoSA | Community Initiatives | SAFE | Member Partners | Resource Center | Teen/Youth | SCoSA News | | |
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PRESS RELEASE
December, 2004 / Sarasota, FL
SCoSA Medicine Bag Project Selected a “Best Practice in Aging Services”
Florida Department of Elder Affairs recognizes local project
SARASOTA - The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse (ScoSA) Senior Taskforce “Medicine Bag Project” has been selected as one of the “Best Practices in Aging Services” by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DoEA). The program is one of several showcased during the Best Practice Conference held in Tampa on December 7 & 8. Programs selected are judged to be innovative models of services that substantially improve the lives of older adults and their families.
According to the recent DoEA figures there are over 136,000 adults over the age of 60 in Sarasota County. With 83% of seniors taking prescription medication, the issue of poly-pharmacy, and the related health and safety concerns is of extreme importance in this area. As older adults often rely on multiple physician specialists, no one physician is aware of all of the medications their patients are taking or reviewing the potential interactions and side effects of these medications.
The medicine bag is a reusable bag labeled “The Medicine Bag” with the Rx symbol in vibrant colors, so that it is easily identifiable to patients and medical professionals. Individuals are instructed to bring the bag to their medical appointments filled with all of their medications – prescription, over-the-counter, and herbals. This allows the primary care physician to view all the drugs that the patient is taking, assess for drug interactions, and discuss proper management of medications. Each bag is distributed with a set of instructions on how the bag should be used and an educational brochure, which offers tips on how to communicate with your physician, how to get the most out of a medical appointment, and how to reduce medication mismanagement.
The bags are distributed through medical offices, educational programs, and direct patient contact. In addition, members of the Senior Focus committee are available to present information to your group or organization. For more information contact the Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse. |
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| Copyright © 2005 | Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse, Inc. | All Rights Reserved | | P.O. Box 51985 | Sarasota, FL 34232-0336 | |
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