Lunch and Learn
University of Iowa Campus Recreation and Wellness Center
(10-25-2012)
One of the best events I have participated in so far has been the Lunch
and Learn presentation at the University of Iowa Campus
Recreation and Wellness Center. The presentation focused on the differences
between prescriptions and over-the-counter medications and included basic
information about vitamins and supplements. Some information that we discussed in the
presentation was as follows. Brand name medication and generic pills work
exactly the same way and spending more does not mean that it is a better drug.
Generic drugs also tend to be safer because they have been on the market longer
and many more people have taken them. One key over-the-counter medication we
talked about was acetaminophen, also known as APAP. The reason APAP is so important is because it
is found in so many over-the-counter medications that it is very easy to
accidentally overdose on it when taking multiple medications. Overdosing on
acetaminophen has serious effects on the liver and can also cause death. The
part I especially loved about the presentation was when I had the opportunity
to use my nutrition knowledge from attending graduate school at Iowa State
University. I discussed some basic
legislation about nutritional supplements and talked about vitamins A, B6, C,
and D. One of the best ways to learn is to teach the information to others and I appreciate that I was able to teach and learn at the same time!
