You are about to take a giant leap, hopefully it will be an educated one.  There are many reasons that health care in this country is in crisis and also in transition. The backbone of American medical care, the person we all related to and depended upon is a dying breed. The General Practitioner, who these days is known as the Family Physician is dwindling in numbers. There are many reasons for this phenomenon but no matter why; the result is the same, fewer doctors with a greater case load.  And there is always the consideration of numbers, dollars and cents. The first perk most employees are looking for is medical insurance.  And although it may be possible to get SOME from your employer it may not be complete coverage or coverage enough for your entire family. Another unhappy scenario is that of a family whose breadwinner has lost his job.  It may be possible to continue medical insurance under COBRA if they had it previously.  But COBRA is an expensive product and its cost can be prohibitive under these circumstances. So how can intelligent, concerned, responsible moms and dads do their best for their families?  They will follow a trend that has been increasing over this past decade.  It is that of self care.

Me, be my own Doctor?

You may be already doing some of it without realizing it.  When your son falls off his bike and skins his knee do you automatically run him to the doctor or the emergency room?  Or do you wash his abrasion (abrasion is the medical term meaning an injury resulting from scraping away a portion of skin, what most people refer to as a “skinned knee”) with soap and water, apply a medicated cream and finish with a band-aid or some type of dressing.  I’m sure you go the soap and water route.  You have just participated in self-care. It is true that self-care is a new thing for this generation.  But a century or so ago it was the normal way of conducting medical care.  In those days they also had a doctor shortage, too few for large areas and lack of communication to find one when one was needed.  But this century gives us the added advantage of over the counter medications.  The Federal Food and Drug Administration has recently made available to the general public many medications that previously were available only through prescription.  And there are repetitive conditions for which a doctor has previously given a diagnosis and prescribed treatments that we can successfully treat on our own. Medications for some common ailments such as heartburn, indigestion, poison ivy and vaginal infections are now easily available for our use.

The Most important Consideration

Education is the cornerstone of anything to which we aspire.  And with medical care – self care – knowing where to obtain the best and proper information is an absolute necessity.

Books and Literature

It is difficult for the non-medical person to find literature on the internet or in a printed format that is easy to understand, retain and follow. Many of these are outdated as soon as they come to print.  Or you need a doctorate in science to just read them, let alone digest them.  What is needed is what we have here; a guide for you to follow that will always be up to date and available.

Over the Counter Medications

While the companies who manufacture these medications have a great selling line they fail to educate the consumer.  The consumer may realize that this is a good product but they do not know whether this would be the best product for their problem. We will help you make these decisions.

Doctors and Over the Counter Medications

There is a legion of medications that a doctor has to know.  And that just covers the prescription ones, let alone those over the counter.  It is rare the physician you has even a glimmer of what a pharmacy has to offer.  We intend to remedy that problem.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Pharmacist

Most pharmacists are nice guys, and gals, educated in all medications but whose training and education is sorely lacking when it comes to making a diagnosis.  They are not the best reference to tap when you need to know WHAT is wrong.

What We Have to Offer

All information presented will be in a clear and understandable language.  This will be sectioned into four parts.

Basics: Here you will find the basics of signs, symptoms, anatomy and physiology.  Diseases are explained and detailed.

Prevention: The best treatment is prevention, and this will be outlined.

Treatment: Various over the counter medications will be discussed.  Not all medications are effective for all conditions and this information will be detailed.

When to Call the Doctor: Although most over the counter medications are successful in handling many conditions some secondary problems may arise.  Being able to realize the point at which treatment by a healthcare provider is necessary can be a difficult decision to make.  But we will provide you with all the necessary information to make these decisions.

Medication Primer

As previously stated education is the most important component when it comes to self care. The goal of this site is to present you with the best information in order for you to make informed decisions.  As there is always something new appearing in the medical field we will keep our site updated with all the latest information.  Medications will be listed by both common and generic names. And only those listed by the Federal Food and Drug Administration as Category 1, the most safe and effective, will be advised.

Now to Begin

Take time to examine our site.  Begin on the left, clicking on the individual topics.  Welcome to the wonderful world of self-care. It is our intention to supply you now and in the future with all the information needed for you to care for yourself and your family.