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Medicines aid us live longer and healthier. But, taking them the wrong mode or mixing certain drugs tin be dangerous. You need to be conscientious to keep track of your medicines and use them safely.

What Are Medicines? What Are Drugs?

Medicines, oft referred to as drugs, tin can be:

• Prescriptions. What you can get only with a doctor's order (for example, pills to lower your cholesterol or an asthma inhaler)
• Over-the-counter pills, liquids, or creams. What you purchase without a prescription (for example, pills for headaches or chew tablets for heartburn)
• Vitamins, eye drops, or dietary supplements.

Make certain your doctor knows near ALL the medicines you take. This includes those prescribed by other doctors, equally well as vitamins, supplements, herbal remedies, and over-the-counter drugs you apply every now and then.

What You Need to Know Well-nigh Your Medicines

Talk with your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider earlier starting a new medicine. Go over your allergies and whatever problems you have had with other medicines, such as rashes, trouble breathing, indigestion, dizziness, or mood changes.

You will also want to find out whether you'll demand to change or finish taking whatever of your other prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs while using this new medicine. Mixing some drugs can cause unpleasant and sometimes serious problems. For instance, it is dangerous to use aspirin when taking a claret-thinning medicine.

Because of this, information technology is important to go along a list of all prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies you have. Print and fill out the Tracking Your Medications: Worksheet to help you proceed track of your medications.

When starting a new medication, make certain to write down the proper name of the drug and why information technology'due south existence prescribed for you. Besides, brand notation of any special instructions for how to take the medicine.

How Tin a Chemist Help?

A pharmacist can answer many of your questions near prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. Try to accept all your prescriptions filled at the aforementioned pharmacy and so your records are in one identify. This volition aid alarm the pharmacist if a new drug might cause a problem with something else you are taking. If you're not able to use just one pharmacy, show the chemist at each pharmacy your list of medicines and over-the-counter drugs when you drib off your prescription.

When you have a prescription filled:

• Tell the chemist if you have trouble swallowing pills. There may exist liquid medicine bachelor. Exercise not chew, interruption, or shell tablets without first finding out if the drug will yet work.
• Make certain you can read and empathize the proper name of the medicine also as the directions on the container and on the color-coded warning stickers on the bottle. If the label is difficult to read, inquire your pharmacist to utilize larger type.
• Check that you tin open up the container. If not, enquire the pharmacist to put your medicines in bottles that are easier to open.
• Enquire about special instructions on where to store a medicine. For example, should information technology be kept in the refrigerator or in a dry place?
• Check the label on your medicine earlier leaving the pharmacy. Information technology should have your proper name on it and the directions given by your physician. If information technology doesn't, don't take it, and talk with the pharmacist.

Bank check the label to ensure you lot are non allergic to any of the ingredients. Brand sure your doctor and pharmacist have an upwardly-to-date list of your allergies so they don't requite you a medicine that contains something you are allergic to.

Learn how to read a prescription label in the gratis booklet Safety Use of Medicines: Take Your Medicines the Right Fashion—Each Day!

Talk with your physician or pharmacist if you have questions most the written data that comes with your prescription.

Side Furnishings

Unwanted or unexpected symptoms or feelings that occur when you have medicine are called side effects. Side effects can be relatively small-scale, such every bit a headache or a dry rima oris. They can also exist life-threatening, such every bit severe bleeding or irreversible damage to the liver or kidneys. Medications' side effects also tin can impact your driving.

If you feel side effects, write them down so yous tin report them to your physician accurately. Call your doctor correct abroad if you accept any issues with your medicines or if y'all are worried that the medicine might be doing more than harm than good. He or she may be able to alter your medication to another that volition work just as well.

Keeping Rails of Your Medicines

Here are some tips to help you go along rails of all your medicines:

• Make a listing. Write down all medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. The listing should include the name of each medicine, amount yous take, and time(s) you lot have information technology. If it'south a prescription, also note the doctor who prescribed it and reason it was prescribed. Show the list to all of your healthcare providers, including concrete therapists and dentists. Keep one copy in a safe place at home and i in your wallet or pocketbook.
• Create a file. Save all the written information that comes with your medicines and proceed information technology somewhere you lot can hands refer to it.
• Check expiration dates on bottles. If a medicine is past its expiration date, yous may be able to dispose of it at your pharmacy, or, check with your medico nigh how to safely discard it. Your doctor can too tell you lot if you will demand a refill.
• Continue medicines out of reach of young children. Avoid taking medicines in front of them, as they might try to copy you. Also, if your medicines are kept in bottles without child safety caps considering they are hard to open, be actress careful nigh where you store medicines.

Taking Medicines Safely

Hither are some tips to assist you take your medicines safely:

• Follow instructions. Read all medicine labels. Make sure to accept your medicines the right way. For instance, don't utilise an over-the-counter cough and cold syrup if you only take a runny nose and no cough.
• Use the right amount. Don't take a larger dose of a medicine thinking information technology will help you lot more than. It can be very dangerous, fifty-fifty deadly. And, don't skip or take half doses of a prescription drug to save money. (Talk with your medico or pharmacist if you lot tin't afford the medicine. There may be aid. Read Saving Money on Medicines for more information.)
• Take medicine on fourth dimension. Some people use meals or bedtime every bit reminders to take their medicine. Other people use charts, calendars, or weekly pill boxes. You lot can besides gear up timers and write reminders to take your medication.
• Turn on a calorie-free. Don't take medicine in the dark; otherwise, y'all might make a mistake.
• Study problems. Phone call your doctor right away if you have whatever trouble with your prescription or over-the-counter medicine, or if yous are worried that it might be doing more damage than practiced. There may be something else you lot can take.
• Tell your doctor about alcohol, tobacco, and drug apply. Booze, tobacco, and other drugs can affect how well your medicines work. Exist honest with your doctor about how much you utilize.
• Check before stopping. Have prescription medicine until information technology'south finished or until your md says information technology's all right to end. Note that some medicines are supposed to exist taken merely "as needed."
• Don't share. Exercise not take medicines prescribed for another person or give yours to someone else.

Read near this topic in Spanish. Lea sobre este tema en español.

For More than Information Virtually Using Medicines Safely

This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Crumbling (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and upwardly to date.

Content reviewed: June 26, 2019

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