What does PM mean in PRESCRIPTION

Preventive Medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on disease prevention, health promotion, and the reduction of health risks.

Activities involved in preventive medicine include implementing strategies to protect individual and population health, prevent or reduce the risk of disease and injury, detect early health problems, and promote healthy living habits.

Preventive medicine is often practiced by primary care providers such as family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers and other professionals who specialize in preventive care.

Common goals of preventive medicine include improving quality of life through education about healthy habits such as regular physical activity, good nutrition and routine medical check-ups; reducing costs associated with treating chronic illnesses; reducing mortality rates; and increasing access to healthcare services.

Preventive Medicine helps individuals by identifying risk factors before they become more serious issues; providing guidance on how to modify lifestyle choices to improve overall health; educating patients about preventing diseases such as heart disease or cancer; monitoring patients for any changes in their condition over time; recommending screenings such as mammograms or colonoscopies based on age or family history; providing vaccinations to protect against contagious diseases; helping establish lifelong healthy behaviors; addressing mental illness & emotional problems earlier rather than later; and detecting potential signs or symptoms before they worsen.