Ten Safety Tips For When Taking Prescription Drugs
When you are prescribed treatment or medicine for an ailment the doctor will have considered your case carefully and decided the safest solution for you.
For those with prescriptions they may feel that the drug isn't working and consider taking a higher than recommended dosage.
It can be highly dangerous to do this without consulting a doctor as can be combining different medications that the doctor isn't aware of.
With prescribed medicine it's important also to never share medicine with other people.
They may have a similar condition to you but their body or condition may dictate that they take a different medication and by taking yours they may be doing more harm to themselves.
Below are 10 tips to ensure you are safe when carrying out your prescription.
1.
Ask your doctor are there are any foods or drinks that should be avoided when on your medication, sometimes they can conflict or worsen your condition.
2.
If you are prescribed multiple drugs or pills make sure you check when it is safe to take each one, some drugs may not react well when taken together.
3.
Familiarise yourself with the name of the drug you are prescribed from your GP, and check the container when given the drugs if you go to a pharmacy, there's always a chance for human error.
4.
Don't be afraid to ask your doctor about the drug you're prescribed; what does it do? What to expect from it? Also know how to identify it from other pills by their markings/shape/etc.
5.
By all means visit another doctor for a second opinion but always disclose any treatment or conditions you have from another doctor so that the second one doesn't prescribe conflicting drugs or more of the same.
6.
If you miss a time when you should have taken your dose do not double up at the next time to take your medicine, if it is vital not to miss the time then contact your doctor or pharmacist to find out what to do.
7.
Continue the course of treatment even if you feel better, the drugs may have eradicated the noticeable symptoms but will still be working away behind the scenes to fully treat your problem.
8.
When on prescription drugs try to avoid alcohol all together, many prescribed drugs do not mix well with alcohol and can be fatal, consult with your doctor as to whether you can consume alcohol whilst on your course of medication.
9.
Use a pill case/organiser to help remind you of when to take various pills with their correct dosage too.
Set alarms on your watch or computer to remind you or keep a diary.
10.
When you have finished your treatment do not flush remaining drugs down the toilet, certain drugs won't be filtered out by water treatment processes.
Go to your doctor or pharmacist for advice on responsibly disposing of surplus medication.
For those with prescriptions they may feel that the drug isn't working and consider taking a higher than recommended dosage.
It can be highly dangerous to do this without consulting a doctor as can be combining different medications that the doctor isn't aware of.
With prescribed medicine it's important also to never share medicine with other people.
They may have a similar condition to you but their body or condition may dictate that they take a different medication and by taking yours they may be doing more harm to themselves.
Below are 10 tips to ensure you are safe when carrying out your prescription.
1.
Ask your doctor are there are any foods or drinks that should be avoided when on your medication, sometimes they can conflict or worsen your condition.
2.
If you are prescribed multiple drugs or pills make sure you check when it is safe to take each one, some drugs may not react well when taken together.
3.
Familiarise yourself with the name of the drug you are prescribed from your GP, and check the container when given the drugs if you go to a pharmacy, there's always a chance for human error.
4.
Don't be afraid to ask your doctor about the drug you're prescribed; what does it do? What to expect from it? Also know how to identify it from other pills by their markings/shape/etc.
5.
By all means visit another doctor for a second opinion but always disclose any treatment or conditions you have from another doctor so that the second one doesn't prescribe conflicting drugs or more of the same.
6.
If you miss a time when you should have taken your dose do not double up at the next time to take your medicine, if it is vital not to miss the time then contact your doctor or pharmacist to find out what to do.
7.
Continue the course of treatment even if you feel better, the drugs may have eradicated the noticeable symptoms but will still be working away behind the scenes to fully treat your problem.
8.
When on prescription drugs try to avoid alcohol all together, many prescribed drugs do not mix well with alcohol and can be fatal, consult with your doctor as to whether you can consume alcohol whilst on your course of medication.
9.
Use a pill case/organiser to help remind you of when to take various pills with their correct dosage too.
Set alarms on your watch or computer to remind you or keep a diary.
10.
When you have finished your treatment do not flush remaining drugs down the toilet, certain drugs won't be filtered out by water treatment processes.
Go to your doctor or pharmacist for advice on responsibly disposing of surplus medication.
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