ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 16, 1996 TAG: 9601160028
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Health Notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
January brings a lot more uncomfortable things than snow. It means the arrival of personal property and income tax forms. And it is the time to complete reports for prescription drugs you bought last year so you can get any insurance reimbursement that is due.
In general, the month is a period in which to assess your financial position and search for ways to improve it.
$avy Discount$ Newsletter, published in Smyrna, N.C., has a slew of tips on ways to save on prescription or over-the-counter medicine, including finding out whether your insurance plan provides reimbursement or a discount.
Other tips are:
Comparison shop over the telephone. Whether you're buying a name-brand or generic drug, call several pharmacies and ask for their prices for the same brand, number of tablets and strength as your prescription. Some chain stores even charge different prices from store to store depending on a store's operations expenses.
Don't buy a prescription if the drug is available at a lower cost over the counter.
Ask you doctor for free drug samples.
Try the drug store brand of an over-the-counter drug, such as headache pills or cough syrup.
Be aware that the supermarket may charge more than a drugstore for over-the-counter drugs.
Have a doctor review all the drugs you take, especially if you're a senior. Often a physician will find duplication and over-medication, which is costly and unhealthy.
Heart check-up offered by hospitals
Hospitals are gearing up with plans for heart health awareness programs in connection with Valentine's Day. "Heart Profile," a cardiac risk assessment program, will be held Feb. 14 at Tanglewood Mall, sponsored by Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley and Roanoke Memorial Regional.
The screening, which costs $20, consists of a blood lipid profile, including cholesterol and blood sugar levels; blood pressure and pulse rate; and a family history of illness. Participants will get a personalized report.
To register, call 1-800-422-8482.
Conference focuses on eating disorders
A Feb. 3 conference at the Martha Jefferson Hospital Education Center in Charlottesville will tackle the topic of eating disorders. Speakers will discuss, and question, the messages sent to young women about their bodies by the mass media and traditional therapies for treating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia and compulsive overeating.
The guest speaker is Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, a writer and lecturer. She will present a case study, "When the Body Speaks," demonstrating what an adolescent girl might be trying to articulate with her eating disorder. Sponsors are the Charlottesville Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention task force and the Charlottesville Association of Clinical counselors.
Conference hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $65 and includes lunch. More information can be obtained at 804-971-7975.
You can contact Sandra Kelly by telephone at 981-3393, by writing at P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, 24010, or by electronic mail to sandrakinfi.net.
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