kaynat Fatima, Pharm.D,4th proff , Bahaudin Zakriya University Multan.
The proper Medications can help manage a lot of health and safety, but they can cause problems if you are using your own self. When the medicines get mixed up, and taken in an incorrect way or combined with certain supplements, foods, or other health and medicines. Protect yourself from potentially dangerous medication and mix-ups by taking these three prescription precautions:
The following tips and tricks take your medicine in the right way.
Keep an up-to-date medication list.
- Keep an updated copy of the doctor’s office and pharmacy at every visit. You can also keep a copy with you in your purse or wallet, in case of an emergency.
- Make a list of every medicine you take, and keep it you want to take first
- In addition to prescription drugs, you should make a list including all herbal supplements, vitamins, and over-the-counter remedies you are currently taking.
- Your doctor and pharmacist need to know if you are taking any of these products because many of them can interact dangerously with prescription drugs.
- The herb St. John’s wort, for example, has numerous interactions with a variety of medications that can be harmful to your health. These interactions either can lead to severe side effects or can interfere with the medication’s effectiveness.
- Even a supplement as common as calcium can interfere with the absorption of certain medicines.
With a complete prescription drugs list, your physician and pharmacist can check extensive databases to protect you from potentially dangerous interactions every time they recommend or fill a new prescription – but they can’t check everything if they’re not aware of everything you are taking.
2. Stick with one pharmacy.
“Pharmacy hopping” has become a common practice as people transfer prescriptions from their primary pharmacy to grocery stores, pharmacy chains, big-box warehouse stores, and the many other outlets now competing for this business.
- While swapping pharmacies may earn you fuel points or other bonuses, the long-run costs can be high in terms of your health and safety. That’s because each time you transfer a prescription to a new pharmacy, you create a gap in your medication record at your primary pharmacy.
- Keeping an up-to-date medication list, as suggested, can help, but the more pharmacies you use, the more you increase the chances of information gaps that could put your health at risk.
- When you establish a relationship with a pharmacy, the pharmacist and staff gather information not only about your current medications and supplements but also know about your health history and medication allergies.
- At each visit of pharmacy and doctor visit, they check and update this information to confirm that your new prescriptions have been prescribed appropriately (this is why prescriptions sometimes take longer to fill than you might expect your pharmacist checks every detail, including dosage, instructions, and potential interactions, to protect your safety).
- The more complete your profile, the better equipped the pharmacist is to detect any reasons why a medication might not be appropriate for you, and to offer other options that might be safer or more suitable.
- Using one pharmacy consistently helps you build the most complete profile. And on a more personal level, it allows you and your pharmacist to get to know each other better.
3. Understand your medicines, and take them only as directed.
Every time you begin a new prescription, make sure, you know the answers to these questions:
- What medication perception is used for diseases?
For which medical condition, the drug is suggested? The doctor knows fully the condition, and what results should you expect after medication. The Doctor suggested medicine after reviewing the reports.
- How should you take it with a prescription?
The patient should use the medicine with what kind of food. The medicine can be taken with a full glass of water or just a sip? Can the pills be crushed or cut into smaller pieces? Are there certain foods or beverages that should be avoided while taking it? All the important points must be kept in mind. It is important for your health and fitness.
- How long should you take medicine?
Every medicine is made of different chemical compounds. The condition of every patient is different. The patient is feeling better while taking the medicine. How much time is required to use this medicine? Some antibiotics can be used for some specific time such as 3, 5, or 7 days. It depends upon the condition of the patient. How much time does it take to recover from the disease?
What are the potential side effects of improper medication
? Which side effects should you report to your doctor immediately? Which ones are expected, but not dangerous? the side effects might be avoided by switching to a different medicine?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist – that’s what we’re here for. Without this information, people often make mistakes, such as:
- Taking medication improperly and reducing its effectiveness
- Discontinuing a medication before it has had a chance to take effect, or because the benefits it is providing are not outwardly noticeable
- Continuing to take medication that is not working or is no longer needed
- Suffering unnecessarily from side effects that could be avoided by switching medication
If there is ever anything you don’t understand about your medication, your pharmacist will be happy to explain it. Pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare professionals on your team, readily available to answer questions and provide information to keep you healthy and fitness.
