Health Tips from EmblemHealth
October 2, 2012
By Dr. William A. Gillespie, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, EmblemHealth
In keeping with EmblemHealth’s longstanding commitment to the health and well-being of New York’s working men and women, I have written Health and Wellness Tips, an article series dedicated to helping you stay healthy, get well and live better. We hope you’ll find the health information in these articles useful to you and your welfare fund members. Look for Health and Wellness Tips articles in future editions of LaborPress.
We count on medicine to treat health problems, avoid hospital stays and improve our quality of life. We know that medicine helps us live longer, healthier lives. But many of us have a hard time taking our medicine as prescribed.
Skipping or missing a dose means the medicine may not work the way it’s supposed to. Here are some tips to help you stick to doctor’s orders:
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• How do I take this medicine?
• When should I stop taking this medicine?
• What foods, other medicines or activities should I avoid while using this medicine?
• How do I know if it’s working?
• What are the side effects?
• Do I need to follow up with a lab test?
• Do I need to keep an eye on other parts of my health while I take this medicine?
Follow these simple rules to play it safe.
• When you go to the doctor, bring a list of all medicines you take. Your doctor can check whether adding a new drug will be OK.
• If you can’t understand the instructions, ask the pharmacist for help.
• If you forget when to take your medicine, set up pill boxes each week with morning, noon and night doses.
• If you go on vacation, bring copies of your prescriptions or write down your medications.
Remember to ask questions and talk to your doctor about your concerns. This is key to staying on top of your health.
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EmblemHealth, through its companies GHI and HIP, has over 70 years of experience covering New Yorkers and services some 2.8 million people ranging from employees in small and large groups to individuals, retirees and unionized workers.
For more information about how EmblemHealth delivers viable health care solutions to the multiemployer market, please call Jerry Gallo, Director of Labor Market, at 1-646-447-5031. You can also visit us at www.emblemhealth.com/labor.
