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PRESCRIPTION TIPS
COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS
PRESCRIPTION EXPENDITURES
UPDATE
PharmacyCOSTCO
TAKING YOUR MEDICATIONS as instructed
can help you get and stay healthy. However,
up to 30 percent of prescriptions are never
;lled and half of all people do not take their
medications as instructed, according to
research published in the Annals of Internal
Medicine. Script Your Future (scriptyour
future.org), a national campaign to raise
awareness of medication adherence,
reports that in the United States an estimated 125,000 deaths and more than 33
percent of medication-related hospital
admissions each year are due to not taking
medications as prescribed. The National
Association of Chain Drug Stores (nacds.
org) reports that people who take their
medications correctly tend to have lower
health-care costs, including avoidance of
unnecessary treatments and hospitalizations, and have better health outcomes.
Patients have dif;culty taking their
medications for many reasons, including
high cost, confusion over how to take
them, side effects and not understanding
why the medication is needed. Your pharmacist can help you improve your health
and quality of life through better medication use.
Ask your pharmacist to:
; Work with your doctor to develop a
simple and convenient medication schedule
that ;ts into your lifestyle.
; Help ;nd lower-cost medications and
assistance programs that can help you
Getting the
most out
of your
medications
COLLAGEN IS THE single most abundant
protein in the human body and the second
most abundant substance, after water.
Collagen is a key constituent of skin,
joints, bones, blood vessels and organs.
It is the glue that binds cells and tissues
together, providing the basic structural
framework of the body.
Bountiful in youth, collagen naturally
diminishes during the aging process. As a
result, collagen-dependent tissues gradually deteriorate with time. Although it is
possible to obtain collagen in the diet from
foods such as bone broth and homemade
chicken noodle soup, dietary supplements
are a far more convenient and reliable
source. Collagen supplements supply a
unique type of collagen that has undergone hydrolysis, a gentle enzyme process
that breaks the protein into smaller, easier-to-digest fragments.
Collagen supplements have been
used safely and effectively for decades.
These nutritional
products are suitable
for men and women
of all ages to help
;ght the effects of
aging and revitalize
skin, hair and nails.
If you’d like to
see what collagen
can do for you,
Youtheory Collagen is
available at your local
warehouse and on
Costco.com. Item
#597726. C
afford your medications.
; Recommend reminder tools such as
pill organizers to help you stay on track.
; Help coordinate re;lls so you don’t
run out of medication.
; Give you tips to manage side effects.
Understanding why and how to take
your medication and what kind of results to
expect will help set the stage for success.
Talk to your pharmacist today about how
better medication management can help
you reach your health-care goals. C
© SHUTTERSTOCK / AFRICA STUDIO
Revitalizing
your body
Saving money on prescriptions
ARE YOU EXAMINING your prescription
medication expenditures? Costco pharmacies, routinely recognized by a leading
consumer magazine as being among the
least expensive places to ;ll prescriptions
in the nation, can be an excellent resource
for helping you and your family save
money on medications. Costco pharmacists are available to help you by answer-ing questions about a variety of programs,
inexpensive generic options and therapeutic alternatives.
For example, generic drugs and
national-brand drugs have the same
active ingredients and effects, but
generics can cost much less, according
to the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA; fda.gov). FDA-approved generic
drugs have the same high quality,
strength, purity and stability as brand-
name drugs, and their manufacturing,
packaging and testing sites must pass
the same quality standards.
Here are some tips from the FDA on
stretching your dollars for prescriptions.
; Ask your pharmacist or doctor about
generics or brands that may cost less.
; Tell your pharmacist or doctor if
the price is a problem for you.
; Ask your pharmacist or doctor if
over-the-counter options are available
as a substitute. C
