Unraveling the Prescription Code

It isn’t just the bad handwriting that keeps us from understanding the scribbles on a prescription sheet. There’s a bit of shorthand or code in there, too. Are you ready to crack the code? Here are some terms and phrases you might see on your prescription — in case you’re curious. Many of them deal with timing: what time of day the medication should be taken, and how frequently the medication should be taken. An “am” or “pm” (not surprisingly) refers to medication taken in the morning or the evening. But other bits of code might be less obvious. If … Continue reading

Why Does My Body Need Biotin?

Call it vitamin B7 or vitamin H: biotin is a B-complex vitamin that is important for a bunch of different metabolic functions in the body. What does biotin do in the body? Get comfy: it’s gonna be quite a list. Biotin is used in cell growth, synthesizing fatty acids (those are the good ones!), and metabolizing a particular amino acid (leucine). Biotin is also important in the process of converting food into energy, known as the Krebs cycle. One more thing: biotin helps in the transfer of carbon dioxide. That’s one hard working vitamin! What’s even more awesome about biotin … Continue reading

Five Ways to Save Money on Prescription Medication

Even with insurance that covers prescriptions, medication can be expensive. Here are some tips to help you save a little money on your prescriptions! Money saving tip number one: Go generic! Many name brand medications are now available in a generic form. Generic medications are tested for safety and ability to treat diseases the same way name brand medications are. They work the same… for a LOT less. For example: my name brand Zoloft used to cost around $90 per month (without insurance). The generic version cost less than half that when I first made the switch. If you do … Continue reading