Drug: Zocor (Simvastatin)
Medication Article Analysis Assignment
Drug: Zocor (Simvastatin)
Medication Analysis Paper
Katelyn Powers
November 1, 2013
94.1 million prescriptions of Zocor (simvastatin) were prescribed in United States during the year 2010. It is a generic cholesterol-lowering statin drug (DeNoon, 2010). High cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and heart attacks are all problems that plague the US. The increasing obesity rate of the US does not help with these factors and may contribute to why this prescription was the second most prescribed drug in the year 2010. I believe that in time it may become the number one most prescribed drug. Zocor is a “statin” drug, also known as an antihyperlipidemic/ HMG-CoA inhibiter. (Karch, 2013) When cholesterol levels get too high the problems mentioned earlier become more apparent. To lower the blood cholesterol statin drugs inhibit an enzyme called HMG- CoA reductase, which is the enzyme that controls the cholesterol production in the liver. With this, there is a decrease in serum cholesterol, serum LDLs, and either an increase or no change in serum HDLs. Before taking this drug patients should know the adverse effects of the drug, interactions, and other teaching points. Some adverse effects of the drug are: headache, flatulence, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, constipation, and nausea. It has a drug food interaction with grapefruit juice, which can cause toxic effects and decreased metabolism of the drug. Taking Zocor in the evening, having periodic blood tests, and using barrier contraceptives so as to avoid pregnancy are helpful teaching points also needed to know before starting Zocor. (Karch, 2013) The toxic effects caused by the combination of Zocor and grapefruit juice occurs with most statin drugs. “A 40-year-old woman taking the popular anti-cholesterol drug Zocor…had been on Zocor for more than two years and was apparently healthy until 10 days prior to being admitted to the
Drug: Zocor (Simvastatin)
Medication Analysis Paper
Katelyn Powers
November 1, 2013
94.1 million prescriptions of Zocor (simvastatin) were prescribed in United States during the year 2010. It is a generic cholesterol-lowering statin drug (DeNoon, 2010). High cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and heart attacks are all problems that plague the US. The increasing obesity rate of the US does not help with these factors and may contribute to why this prescription was the second most prescribed drug in the year 2010. I believe that in time it may become the number one most prescribed drug. Zocor is a “statin” drug, also known as an antihyperlipidemic/ HMG-CoA inhibiter. (Karch, 2013) When cholesterol levels get too high the problems mentioned earlier become more apparent. To lower the blood cholesterol statin drugs inhibit an enzyme called HMG- CoA reductase, which is the enzyme that controls the cholesterol production in the liver. With this, there is a decrease in serum cholesterol, serum LDLs, and either an increase or no change in serum HDLs. Before taking this drug patients should know the adverse effects of the drug, interactions, and other teaching points. Some adverse effects of the drug are: headache, flatulence, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, constipation, and nausea. It has a drug food interaction with grapefruit juice, which can cause toxic effects and decreased metabolism of the drug. Taking Zocor in the evening, having periodic blood tests, and using barrier contraceptives so as to avoid pregnancy are helpful teaching points also needed to know before starting Zocor. (Karch, 2013) The toxic effects caused by the combination of Zocor and grapefruit juice occurs with most statin drugs. “A 40-year-old woman taking the popular anti-cholesterol drug Zocor…had been on Zocor for more than two years and was apparently healthy until 10 days prior to being admitted to the
References: 1. Zipes, D. (2004). Grapefruit and Zocor Don 't Mix. Medical Update, 29(11), 4. 2. Karch, A. (2013). 2013 lippincott 's nursing drug guide. (pp. 1047-1049). Wolters Kluwer. 3. Dugdale, D. (2011, September 19). Rhabdomyolysis. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000473.htm 4 5. DeNoon, D. (2011, April 20). The 10 most prescribed drugs. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/news/20110420/the-10-most-prescribed-drugs 6