MEDICATIONS: HOW TO MANAGE YOUR MEDICATIONS

Medicines prescribed by your doctor are intended to help you. But medicines also are powerful chemicals that affect your body. Sometimes mistakes can occur. To help prevent mistakes, you should do the following:

· Tell your doctor about any medicine you currently take. One medicine may react with another medicine in ways that may not be good for you. Your doctor does not always know what you are taking.

· Alcohol also may interact with your medications. For this reason, be sure also to tell your doctor if you drink alcohol on a regular basis.

· Tell your doctor about any allergies you have to medications.

· When your doctor prescribes medicine for you, ask questions about it. What is it called? What is it supposed to do? How often should you take it?

· If you don’t understand something about the medication, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

· Make sure your pharmacist also knows about any medications you are taking and any allergies to medications you might have.

· Take the medication exactly as prescribed on the label.

· After your doctor gives you a prescription, take it to your pharmacist. Try to take all your prescriptions to the same pharmacist so that he or she will have a record of you and will be able to better answer your questions. Your pharmacist may be able to provide a computer list of your medications.

· When the pharmacist gives you your medicine, read the label. Is it the medication you were supposed to receive? Is the amount of medication you are supposed to take listed correctly on the label? If you have any questions, ask your pharmacist.

· Before you take the medication, read the label. Make sure it is the medication you are supposed to take. Bottles in your house may get confused.

· Watch for side effects. If they appear, contact your doctor. If you develop itching, swelling or breathing problems after taking medication, seek medical help.

You also should be informed about medicine that you or a family member takes while in a hospital, nursing home or other institution. Here are some common tips:

· Inform your doctor or nurse about any allergies or other drug reactions you have experienced both on admission to the hospital and prior to accepting any new medication.

· Bring a list (or the actual bottles) of all medications you are currently taking, including prescription medication, over-the-counter medication and dietary/herbal supplements.

· Know the medications you are taking while in the hospital (its name, what it is for, how much you are suppose to receive), and question any medication that does not look like what you are supposed to receive.

Ask about potential side effects of any new medication so these can be reported to the nurse and doctor if they occur.