Safe medicine management at home

Realizing how important your medication is in your treatment will help you get the most out of your prescription. It is important to take an active role in your healthcare by being a participating member of your own healthcare team. Work with your doctor, nurse and pharmacist to learn as much as possible about your prescription.

Here are some questions you can ask your doctor or pharmacist when you are prescribed a new medication and suggestions on how to safely handle medication at home.

Ask for the name of the medicine, including generic and brand name. This can help avoid prescription errors. When your doctor prescribes you a new medication, provide the names of all the medications you are currently taking, including all supplements, over-the-counter medications, and prescription medications. Indicate allergies to medications.

Ask for indications of exactly what this medicine is for.

Ask about possible side effects and what to do in case of a side effect.

4. Ask for dose and frequency to be taken.

5. How should the medicine be taken? The most common routes of administration are oral or oral, injection; or topically or topically applied such as creams or eye drops.

6. Are there any special instructions while taking this medication, such as food, alcohol use, other medications? or activities you should avoid while taking this medicine? Ask about specifications such as taking food, going on an empty stomach, not crushing or activities to avoid, such as driving, using machines, swimming or exposure to sunlight.

Is there any written information you can take home? Most pharmacies have information sheets that you can use as a home referral.

If a doctor prescribes a medicine to be taken several times a day, ask if it can be replaced by a prescription that is just as effective but only given once or twice a day, reducing the chance of forgetting to take the medicine and even be more cost effective.

Ask if the medicine is available in both generic and brand name, ask the pharmacist the difference between the two and decide based on this information. In many cases, it is more advantageous to request the generic name versus the brand name.

7. How many refills of prescription are allowed? Some drug and medication management plans have the option to purchase multiple refills at one time, up to three months delivery, for medications that need to be taken for a long time or are part of the patient's permanent treatment plan. Usually, this system is more cost effective for the customer.

Ask your doctor for tests, especially if it is a medicine that will be for short-term use or if you are taking a test.

8. What to do if you miss a dose? What to do if you accidentally take more than the recommended dose?

9. Ask for the alternative prescription form that best suits you or your patient's needs. If your child is unable to swallow pills, ask for the Медицинский Тэджон in liquid form, if available. The same goes for elderly meat or adult patients who have difficulty swallowing.

Do not change the medicine without talking to your pharmacist. Some drugs can be crushed, chopped and mixed with apple sauce or juice, while any drug is not suitable in any other than the original form. Always ask before changing the form of a medicine. Sustained-release pills should not be crushed and some capsules should not be opened.