Last night I spread the word about the House passing the Paul Wellstone Mental Health And Addiction Equality Act (H.R. 1424), reminded you that though we still have much to do the goal is in sight, and promised to keep you updated as new information became available.
Well, less than 24 hours later, I’ve received an advocacy alert from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) urging me to send a message to President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, my U.S. Senators, and my U.S. House Representative.
I encourage you to do the same!
You can read the DBSA …read more

Grab Drug Advertisements by the Pills: Part Two
Carrying on with the Grab Drug Advertisements by the Pills series, let’s talk about drug advertisements and the FDA. Specifically, what drug advertisements are and are not required to tell us.

Since 1962, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (or, the FDA) has regulated prescription drug advertising under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and related regulations. (The FDA considers an “advertisement” to be broadcast promotions such as television and radio, print materials such as magazines and newspapers, and even telephone contacts.)
These references cover a lot of material, so I’ll sum up what’s …read more

Grab Drug Advertisements by the Pills: Part One
We begin the Grab Drug Advertisements by the Pills series by discussing how educational – and how confusing – drug advertisements can be.
Prescription drug advertisements are educational in that they often help people tune into and/or better understand a particular health condition. However, because most of us aren’t doctors, drug advertisements can confuse us. Some of us are out the door and headed to the doctor’s office before the commercial is even finished.
Yes, I want to spend this Patient Safety Awareness Week encouraging you to get more involved with the path your health …read more

Today kicks off Patient Safety Awareness Week, and what better way to help ensure patient safety than by becoming more active in your own health care? After all, you are the patient, right?
Of course you are. We’re all patients at one point or another.
In honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week, I’m going to do a series on one of – if not the – most in-your-face elements of the health care world today: Drugs. Pills. Pharmaceuticals. Medicine. Dope. Prescriptions. Whatever you want to call them.
But more specifically, the advertisements for drugs, pills, pharmaceuticals, medicine…OK, you get the idea.
As a mental …read more

Mark your calendars, readers! Mental Health Month may not be until May, but March is busting at the seams with mental health- and brain-related “awareness” events of its own around the globe!
March is:

Mental Retardation Awareness Month, sponsored by The Arc.
Professional Social Work Month, sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers.
National Brain Injury Awareness Month, sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of America.
National Epilepsy Month, sponsored by Epilepsy Canada.

And within the month of March we have:

Brain Awareness Week, March 10-16.
Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 2-8.
National Sleep Awareness Week, March 3-9.
Mental Health Action Week, March 23-29.

I use three different sources when …read more