PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

Cares that are taken to prevent the diseases are referred as preventive medicines. Medicine helps in reducing the symptoms of sufferers. This medical term is used in contrast with palliative medicine or curative medicine.

Preventive medicine administration level

There are four levels of preventive medicine nursing practice in general.

• Primary prevention level: Medicine helps in   disease prevention. This improves the health of the individuals.
• Secondary prevention level: Medicine that recognizes diseases somewhat earlier. This paves way to avoid disease spreading and symptoms.
• Tertiary prevention level: Medicine that helps in reducing negative symptoms that are caused by already existing diseases.
• Quaternary prevention level: This avoids unwanted complications of health system.

For instance, hand washing and proper immunization are preventive medicines. This medication is adopted initially by periodic screening according to the age, sex and family background.

Preventive intervention classification system

Preventive intervention classification system was developed first by Gordon in the year 1987 and Kumpfer & Baxley later. This classification was adopted

in European Drug Monitoring Centre and NIDA. Environmental protection system is out of box classification.

Universal prevention system:

• The entire human population system is taken into account. Its main objective is to reduce alcohol addiction, drug addiction and tobacco dependence.. This system does not require any screening. They are trained by disseminating skills.
• Selective prevention system: This system mainly focuses on alcoholic abuse by individuals. They are characterized on the basis of age, sex, social status and family history. For instance, drug campaigns.
• Indicated prevention system: This system focuses on individuals who are likely to be abused and other behavioral changes. This requires individuals to be screened. For instance, positive minded people provoking alcohol withdrawal.

Prophylaxis

This is a type of treatment of public disease. They are of two types like primary prophylaxis and secondary prophylaxis.  Primary prophylaxis helps in avoiding of disease occurrence. Secondary prophylaxis helps in prevention of already developed diseases. For instance, administration of vaccines, antibiotics,exercise etc. are types of prophylactic treatments.

Professionals

Preventive care is given by individuals who are involved in health aspects like entomology. They are specialized in three major areas.

• Occupational health care
• General prevention of public health care
• Aerospace health care