MedlinePlus - Trusted Health Information for You

Hi All,

Medline Plus is a government sponsored health website. Specifically the site is sponsored by the venerable U.S. National Library of Medicine and the NIH (National Institute of Health). 

The site has an amazing wealth of information, but for today's blog entry I'd like to discuss the section of the site that covers drugs, herbs, and supplements.

Users can learn about prescription drugs and OTC (over-the-counter) medicines, including side effects, dosage, special precautions, and more.

Users can browse by generic or brand name. 

Users can browse dietary supplements and herbal remedies to learn about their effectiveness, usual dosage and drug interactions. 

When a user locates a particular drug they want to research - in this case Lipitor - you get the following information: 
- Why is this medication prescribed?
- How should this medicine be used?
- Other uses for this medicine
- What special precautions should I follow?
- What special dietary instructions should I follow?
- What should I do if I forget a dose?
- What side effects can this medication cause?
- What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?
- What do do in case of emergency or overdose?
- What other information should I know about this medication?
- Brand names of the medication
- Brand names of combination products?


At the bottom of the page is a notation of when the particular page was last revised - which is essential information for someone who is trying to learn more about a particular medication!

Enjoy the site and learning about the medication(s) you might be taking!

Regards,
Stu

Crime Statistics for Nassau and Suffolk County

Hi All,

Just found these really, really interesting website from Newsday: Long Island Crime and Police Reports. Users can select a community and a specific date range to view incidents in the area and time period requested. Specific events include drug/alcohol, robbery, assault, homicide, theft, burglary, property damage and an 'other' category.

Amazingly useful data - imagine that you are buying or selling a home and using the data?

But wait, there's more: below the map itself is a description of the various incidents that are detailed. For example, age and details about various incidents are included in narrative format. Clicking on the 'Read More' link takes readers to an expanded entry of the incident.

Also, you can find crime statistics by precinct at this site from the Nassau County Police Department. Interesting stuff - and helpful to boot.

Regards,
Stu