www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
This October marked national "Talk About
Prescriptions" Month sponsored by the
National Council on Patient Information and
Education (NCPIE). This year’s
theme was "Communication is
Key!" and focused on better
communication between
consumers and their healthcare
providers, which can lead to safe
and appropriate medicine use –
and better health. One very
important component of this
year's theme was capitalizing on
every teachable moment. If both
consumers and providers focused on quality
communication during each interaction we
could better ensure that consumers get
maximum benefit from their prescription and
over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. It is
imperative to continue improving the dialogue
about medicines.
Unsafe and inappropriate medicine use
continue to be major public health problems
costing our nation suffering, lives, and too
many dollars in avoidable healthcare
spending. According to a new report (August
2009) by the New England Health Care
Institute (NEHI), the cost to the healthcare
system due to patients who do not take their
medications as prescribed has reached $290
billion each year in otherwise avoidable
medical spending.
The NCPIE says, “Consumers need more
information about their medicines and about
how prescriptions work in order to be
Medicine Smart.™” The Talk About
Prescriptions observance is about increasing
medication adherence and raising awareness
for consumers. Consumers need to learn to;
ask questions about medications; avoid drug
interactions, understand safe use of pain
medications, and practice proper medicine
disposal.
The NCPIE "Are You Medicine Smart?"
campaign poses a simple question with
profound implications for good health. For
example, being Medicine Smart means
getting all the information necessary to use
your medicine correctly. That means asking
questions and sharing important information
about past medicine use to better ensure that
you get the most benefit from your treatment.
November
2009
From the Arizona
Department of
Administration,
Benefit Options
Wellness Program
Page 1
Below is a list of simple questions consumers
should ask to be Medicine Smart™:
1. What is the name of the medicine
and what is it for? Is this the brand
name or the generic name?
2. Is a generic version of this
medicine available?
3. How and when do I take it - and
for how long?
4. What foods, drinks, other
medicines, dietary supplements, or
activities should I avoid while taking this
medicine?
5. When should I expect the medicine to begin
to work, and how will I know if it is working?
6. Are there any side effects, what are they,
and what do I do if they occur?
7. Will this medicine work safely with the other
prescription and nonprescription medicines I
am taking? Will it work safely with any dietary /
herbal supplements I am taking?
8. Do I need to get a refill? When?
9. How should I store this medicine?
10. Is there any written information available
about the medicine?
Being "Medicine Smart™" also means knowing
several key facts about the medicines you are
currently taking - and being able to share that
information with the members of your
healthcare team with each visit. That means
keeping track of the names of the medicine(s)
you are taking, how much you take, when and
how you take it, why you take it, and when you
started taking it. For tips on making a
Medication Record card or Pill Card visit the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) at
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/pillcard/pillcard.htm
Source: National Council on Patient Information and
Education, www.talkaboutrx.org
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
Take the Mayo Clinic Health Assessment Today!
• Log on to www.bewellstaywell.az.gov
• Complete the registration by entering in your
Employee Identification Number (EIN), a unique
email address, and some basic information.
• Receive an email confirmation of registration.
• Follow the email link to the web portal to log in
and take the Health Assessment
EmbodyHealth Coaching
Participants who complete the Health Assessment
questionnaire may also be eligible to receive FREE
EmbodyHealth Coaching from the Mayo Clinic. The
Coaching programs offer confidential counseling
based on your personal health goals. During the
program your Coach will work to help you:
• Understand the impact of choices that affect
your health
• Identify barriers that prevent you from changing
health habits
• Build skills to help change behavior and
improve health
• Increase motivation and self-confidence
The Lifestyle Coaching program has 5 programs to
choose from: Fitness, Nutrition, Weight
Management, Tobacco Cessation, and Stress
Management. Each program has three levels of
intervention aligned with the severity of your health
weaknesses; self managed, moderate and
intensive. The EmbodyHealth Coaching program
may be 9 months for the intensive model and 6
months for the moderate version. Participants will
be engaged through telephone calls, secure e-mail,
print educational materials, or via web using “My
Coach.” Also, participants are able to call their
lifestyle coach with any questions or barriers that
arise during the course of the program.
Questions?
Visit the Wellness website at
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness for more
information or call Wellness at 602-771-9355.
November
2009
Page 2 Upcoming Events
Benefit Options Wellness is in the middle of our
Annual Flu Vaccine Campaign and still offering
FREE influenza vaccinations to all State of
Arizona employees and Benefit Options Members
(retirees, spouses, and dependents over 4 years
of age). Benefit Options Wellness has
vaccinated approximately 10, 000 employees and
members so far.
However, our contracted vendor, Healthwaves,
has been experiencing vaccine shortages caused
by delayed shipments from the vaccine
manufacturer. As a result we have been forced to
cancel many of the previously scheduled flu
clinics. We are expecting to get back on schedule
in the first two weeks of November, but schedules
are still tentative.
There are still two options to receive a flu shot
through our annual vaccine program: Work site
Clinics and Public Clinics
Work Sites
Specific dates and times for work site events
posted on the Benefit Options Wellness website
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness and the
schedule is updated often.
Public Clinics
The Healthwaves public flu clinic schedule is
posted on their website at www.healthwaves.com.
Please review the websites frequently as
schedules are tentative and are subject to change
based on vaccine availability.
What to Bring
In order to receive a flu vaccine please bring the
following items to the flu clinic of your choice:
• The Employee Identification Number (EIN) of
the State of Arizona employee
• An Benefit Options insurance card or State ID
badge
• A photo ID
For other flu vaccine questions, call the Benefit
Options Wellness line at 602-771-9355.
November www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
2009
Page 3
Upcoming Events
Mini Health Screening
at Work
All State employees and Benefit Op-tions
members are eligible to partici-pate
in mini health screenings.
The basic screenings are FREE and
optional screenings are priced as indicated:
• Height & weight; BMI; blood pressure;
and percent of body fat (body composi-tion).
• Cholesterol and blood sugar (8-hour
fasting is recommended)
• Free osteoporosis screening for women
40 and older. $30 for women under age
40.
• $5 PSA screening (blood draw) for men
40 and older. $42 for men under age
40.
You will need your Employee Identification
Number (EIN) and Insurance card for this
event.
No appointment necessary. These
screenings are done on a first come,
first serve basis.
With bottles of alcohol‐based
hand sanitizer available for public
use everywhere these days, you
may be wondering if this stuff
actually works. You may be
asking yourself such questions as;
Is it better than hand washing? or
Does it create mutant strains of
germs?
In fact, alcohol‐based hand sanitizers are effective
in preventing the spread of the seasonal flu, H1N1,
colds and other viral‐ and bacterial‐based diseases.
Wash or Sanitize?
Most public health experts say that hand washing
with soap and water is the most effective way to
remove germs from your hands. But the
effectiveness is influence by proper hand washing
technique. The recommendation calls for hand
washing with soap and warm water for at least 20
seconds to create a full lather and to reach all
crevices of your hands and wrists. Alcohol‐based
hand sanitizers kill most types of bacteria, viruses
and fungi in a few seconds. While rubbing your
hands with sanitizer for 15 seconds is ideal, poor
hand‐sanitizer use still has advantages over poor
hand washing. Although proper hand washing is
technically superior to alcohol gels most of the
time, hand‐sanitizers are an incredibly effective
means to reduce disease transmission. However,
you cannot rely solely on alcohol‐based hand
sanitizers. Alcohol kills bacteria but does not
necessarily clean your hands of dirt or organic
material.
Resistant Bacteria?
Alcohol kills bacteria usually by dissolving its
cellular membrane. It is a serious killer, like fire or
bleach, and germs don't develop resistance to it.
Also, the alcohol evaporates quickly after killing
the first layer of germs on your skin. This means
that, although benevolent bacteria are killed,
enough remain on lower levels or elsewhere up the
arm to re‐colonize.
To be effective, alcohol‐based hand sanitizers must
contain at least 60 percent alcohol. Some cheaper
brands contain less and are no better than water.
Worse, they offer false protection.
For best protection, wash your hand with soap and
water in the restroom and kitchen and use hand
sanitizers to rid your hands of germs inadveratantly
picked up in hallways, entrances, offices, and public
areas.
November www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
2009
Page 4
wellness information
Created and published by ADOA , Benefit Options Wellness
Program
100 N 15th Ave, Suite 103 Phoenix, AZ 85007
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
email: wellness@azdoa.gov, phone 602-771-9355
Persons with a disability may request accommodations by
contacting the ADOA Benefits Office. If you need this issue in
alternate format, please call 602-771-9355
“Early detection is the best defense we
have at this time for catching breast
cancer in its earliest stages,” says
Catherine Midgette, Executive Vice
President of MOM. “If we find the cancer
in its earliest stages, the patient has a
97 percent survival rate.” Mobile On-Site
Mammography (MOM) travels to
perform mammography screenings at
worksites across Arizona.
MOM will directly bill insurance. Benefit
Options health plan members do not
have to pay a copay at these events.
(Other insurance plan members may
have a copay. Check with your
insurance’s member services
department for more information.)
Call MOM at 480-967-3767 to
schedule your appointment.
This service is generally provided on a
request-basis. Call MOM at 480-967-
3767 or 1-800-285-0272 to schedule
this service at your worksite. There is a
minimum of 25 people required.
The MOM van is not scheduled to be at
any State of Arizona work sites during
the month of November. I you are in-terested
in finding other locations you
may attend please call MOM directly us-ing
the above number to ask about their
schedule
What Services & Programs are
Offered by Benefit Options
Wellness?
The Wellness website has the complete list
of screenings, classes and other programs
available for request and scheduling at
State worksites.
Wellness events are requested and coordinated by
State employees at worksites. If you are interested
in hosting a program at your worksite, visit the
Wellness website at www.benefitoptions.az.gov to
view what is available and learn what Wellness
has to offer.
Event requests must be submitted online by
clicking this logo:
Complete the brief form, including contact
information and the event requested and hit
submit! A Wellness team member will reply to
your request and begin scheduling your event.
Log on Today!
Take advantage of the many programs and
services to keep employees healthy
