Millions of older adults in the United States rely on medication to stay strong and healthy every day. However, it may lose its effectiveness over time and may not allow you to be your best self. If your meds aren’t what they once were, it’s important to be aware of the signs so that you can get your medication to work properly again. Here are some of the most common causes of ineffective medication.

An Inconsistent Schedule

You need to ensure you’re sticking to the proper schedule for any prescription and over-the-counter drugs to work at their best. In most cases, prescription drugs need to be taken at a specific time of day for optimal results. Your body adjusts to the routine of when and how you are taking your regular dosage and taking them outside of these routine hours can potentially throw your body off more than you had anticipated.

Neglecting Proper Usage Instructions

Being smart about how you are taking your medications goes beyond the time of day you take them. You must also be sure to determine whether your prescription needs to be taken with or without food and if you’re taking the proper dose. These details may seem minor, but they make a meaningful difference in the overall effectiveness of your medication, as well as help you avoid any unwanted side effects. With most drugs, such as with a generic 30 day supply of Adderall, the pharmacy will give you just enough so that it lasts until the next time you are scheduled for a refill. 

Unhealthy Habits

It isn’t enough to rely on prescription or over-the-counter medicines to stay healthy. If you’re determined to get the most out of your meds, it’s crucial to shed any bad habits and adopt healthier ones. For example, skimping on sleep, consuming excess alcohol, and not getting enough exercise can all contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle. If you don’t keep these poor habits in check, you may not see the results you want from your medication.

Underlying Medical Conditions

Certain medical conditions can also interfere with the effectiveness of your medication. Common conditions that might have this effect include the following:

-Poor metabolism
-High blood pressure
-Stomach conditions
-Hormonal issues

If you’re struggling with any conditions that might hinder your medication’s power, we recommend consulting your doctor so they can form a plan that meets your needs.

A Poor Diet

You need to set the foundation for an effective medication plan by eating right. Well-balanced meals that contain plenty of nutrients to support your health and well-being are one of the most critical parts of healthy living, and failure to do so may have an impact on the effectiveness of vital medications. Be sure to incorporate fruits, vegetables, protein, and grains into your diet while limiting your sugar and fat intake.

Getting to the root of the problem with your medication can help you determine what you need to do differently. Be sure to speak to a medical professional if you aren’t sure what’s causing your meds to fail, and they will then tailor a more effective medication plan to your needs. 

If you need help finding where to fill a men’s prescription online, US Rx Outreach is a resource at your disposal that can provide drug information and where to find the meds you need to stay healthy and active. Find out more about the options at your disposal by reaching out to us today!

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Dusty Diekman

For nearly 20 years, Express Scripts has benefitted from Ms. Diekman’s strong leadership and organizational acumen. She has dedicated much of her career to improving health outcomes for vulnerable and at-risk populations.  

Kristi Storman

Ms. Storman brings over 15 years of healthcare experience to the US Rx Outreach Board of Directors. Ms. Storman’s experience is unique in that she has served in varying finance based roles, such as Director of Finance, Controller, and Senior Auditor, and more recently an operation position.  Her tenure gives her a bevy of financial knowledge, as well as an industry insider’s perspective on the healthcare landscape.  

Deb Yost

Ms. Yost has worked in Human Resources for more than 20 years, including leadership roles at Fortune 100 and 500 companies. Ms. Yost’s compassionate leadership and experience in the healthcare industry will help US Rx Outreach in fulfilling its mission to provide affordable medication to people in need.   

With the appointments of Diekman, Storman, and Yost, the US Rx Outreach Board includes Michael Holmes, Chairman and Founder; Rodney Gee, Vice-Chair; Lakesha Butler, PharmD, Treasurer; Kenneth Dude, Secretary; Major General Elder Granger, Chief Medical Officer; James Buford; Kevin Green; Demetrius Grooms; Omar Maldonado; John Pieper, PharmD.; and Richard White, MD.

To learn more about our mission, vision, and values, please visit our About Us page, https://usrxoutreach.com/about-us/

Join us on social media to keep up to date on US Rx Outreach news and insights.
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The cry for help has not fallen on deaf ears. US Rx Outreach is excited to announce an increase in its income guidelines.

US Rx Outreach’s vision is of a world where every person has access to the medications they need. Since our founding in 2010, over 285,000 people have received their life-saving medications from US Rx Outreach and we are proud that we have saved them over $662 million compared to retail prices.

As the country’s largest nonprofit, mail-order pharmacy, we believe this change to provide greater access to affordable medication will give people hope and lead to a better quality of life.

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US Rx Outreach Earns GuideStar’s Highest Seal of Transparency

US Rx Outreach today earned a 2019 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. By sharing metrics that highlight progress US Rx Outreach is making toward its mission, the organization is helping donors move beyond simplistic ways of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios.

“In accordance with our long-held belief in being transparent about our work,” said Pete Wyatt, Vice President of US Rx Outreach, “we are excited to convey our organization’s results in a user-friendly and highly visual manner. By updating our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile to earn a Platinum Seal, we can now easily share a wealth of up-to-date organizational metrics with our supporters as well as GuideStar’s immense online audience, which includes donors, grantmakers, our peers, and the media.”

Read Press Release

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US Rx Outreach Approved Through NABP's. Pharmacy Verified Website Program

US Rx Outreach has been approved through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) .Pharmacy Verified Websites Program. Earning approval through the .Pharmacy Program enables US Rx Outreach to register a .pharmacy domain name for its website. A .pharmacy domain is part of a website’s address like “.com” or “.biz”, allowing consumers to more easily recognize www.RxOutreach.pharmacy/ as a trustworthy place to shop and learn about prescription medications.  Additionally, because the “seal of approval” is in the website address .pharmacy is a seal of safety that provides an additional layer of security and legitimacy to assure you that the website and organization is a legitimate business.

Read Full Press Release

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St. Louis Business Journal – US Rx Outreach’s Kim Stemley

St. Louis Character Kim Stemley of US Rx Outreach

DILIP VISHWANAT | SLBJ

By Brian Robbins – Reporter, St. Louis Business Journal

Mar 27, 2019, 11:50am EDT

On top of every US Rx Outreach bottle cap reads the nonprofit’s mission: “To honor God by serving those in need.” For Kimberly Stemley that message is about giving hope to those who may have none.

Stemley, 41, is the executive vice president and CFO of US Rx Outreach, a nonprofit pharmacy spun off from Express Scripts in 2010 that provides low-cost and no-cost prescriptions to low-income, uninsured Americans.

Under Stemley’s leadership, it has helped its patients save more than $661 million on their prescription medications, and served more than 285,000 patients in the U.S.

Before coming to US Rx Outreach in 2010, Stemley, who was born and raised in St. Louis, held positions at Ernst & Young, AT&T and engineering firm Innoventor.

In addition to her role at the nonprofit, Stemley is also an advocate for Alzheimer’s research after she saw the devastating effects of the disease when her mother was diagnosed 10 years ago. In 2015, on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association, Stemley testified in front of Congress to tell her story and bring awareness that additional funding was needed for Alzheimer’s research.

Carol Burcke, director of donor engagement and program development at US Rx Outreach, said Stemley’s work ethic and leadership skills influence everyone working at the nonprofit.  “It’s inspiring to see somebody who works at a nonprofit when you know that they could go out into the world and do other things for monetary value,” Burcke said. “That speaks to her Christian values and what she really believes and she lives — which is rare within the world.”

When not at work, Stemley can be found relaxing at her home in Shaw or pumping iron at her favorite gym in Ferguson.

How did you first get your start at US Rx Outreach? When I was a controller at Innoventor, I got a call from somebody asking me if I would be interested in becoming the CFO of US Rx Outreach. I did the interview with (founder) Michael Holmes, and after meeting Michael, I knew that not only did I want to join US Rx Outreach, I wanted to work with him and be under his tutelage and vision that he had for the organization.

What separates US Rx Outreach from other pharmacies? US Rx Outreach was initially created to provide medication and make it affordable for people that have a need. We define need as individuals who are up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. That allows us to help and service a lot of people who are struggling to afford their medications. We exist to try to address that issue and try to make sure that everyone has access to the life-saving medications that they need.

Why did US Rx Outreach leave Express Scripts? Michael Holmes woke up one morning and was in prayer, and God gave him this vision to spin this organization off. If we spun off from Express Scripts, which is obviously a for-profit entity, and become a nonprofit, we could increase our drug donations and our cash donations that we receive from pharmaceutical manufacturers, and with that, be able to service more people.

What’s your favorite aspect of working at US Rx Outreach? I started my career in public accounting and I’ve worked for large companies. But what is a privilege every single day here is that I get to do what I love for a purpose and a cause that I really believe in. When we get to the table and have conversations, we aren’t just talking about things from a metrics or a business standpoint. We have the benefit of fusing a people-centric approach to business.

Who is your inspiration? My mother and grandmother were the first two women I really looked up to in life. My mother was a trailblazer in her time. She was the first to graduate college in our family, she worked for the government for 33 years and retired, she wrote multimillion-dollar Boeing contracts in a time and age where a single, African-American woman doing things like that was just unheard of. I would see my mom go to work every day in a suit and, to me, it was normal.

Kim with her mother, who was the first person in their family to graduate from college.

COURTESY OF KIM STEMLEY

You testified in front of Congress in 2015 regarding Alzheimer’s research what was that like?

I spoke at the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and was going up before Congress and requesting on behalf of the 15 million caregivers in the world for Alzheimer’s patients, along with those who suffer from the disease, for additional funding.  We requested $500 million to fight Alzheimer’s.  Now we’re trying to get to a place whre Alzheimer’s has the same amount of research that cancer receives.  No, cancer isn’t a death sentence anymore, and that’s only because so much effort and research has been put into it.

Kim Stemley spoke in front of Congress to appeal for more funding for Alzheimer’s research.

COURTESY OF KIM STEMLEY

What advice would you give women of color who seek advancement in the corporate world? One of the first lessons that I learned in transitioning into corporate America was to be authentically me. That person is the best value a company can get because they’re getting the best of me and not some other version. I think, especially for young women that are coming into any workforce, you thrive the best when you find your own voice and stick with it, and then fine tune it over the years. Everyone can trust that, everyone can trust authenticity.

What are your hobbies? I actually workout for fun. I go to BKM Fitness Boot Camp in Ferguson and I’m there several times a week. Going to the gym is fun, energizing and it keeps my stress levels in check. I attend boot camps, I do spin class, weight training. I love itF.

What are your favorite restaurants? Scape American Bistro is still one of my favorite restaurants. I probably can read you the menu off the top of my head. I also love Charlie Gitto’s and I find myself over at Sweetie Pie’s probably too much. We have so much great stuff, whether it’s barbecue, pizza, baked goods — I think our food scene is starting to get the attention that it deserves. I think St. Louis gets the worst national coverage ever and I don’t think we get highlighted for all the great things that are here in the city and the world doesn’t know.

What are you reading? I have Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” on my desk at home. I haven’t started reading it, but it’s my next book. 

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