Physicians write prescriptions and I have seen people accept them and only ask how often to take them, never asking for any other instructions. You should question your physician: “What is the reason for this prescription medication? What amount of time do I have to use this medication? What kind of major side effects does it have and what should I do if I have any? What are the good effects? How long does it take for the medication to give me relief? What is the interval between doses? Which medications should not be taken with my medications?” Find out what you can do to monitor the effectiveness – like blood pressure or blood sugar tests. Since some medicines are time released; it is vital not to break these, because you might get the whole dose at one time, making it an overdose. Do not miss a dose of medicine, and if you do, only take a double dose if your doctor says to. You can also use your pharmacy for several of the previous questions.

Frequently people stop taking medications when they start to feel better; men are known to quit using blood pressure medicine when they start to feel better or because high blood pressure medicine has erectile dysfunction as a common side effect. Be sure to let your doctor know what is going on.  Consult with him or her before substituting one medication for another. An additional possible medication mistake is not finishing all of the antibiotics; when you stop too soon, the “germs” may be immune, then “super germs” which are hard to get rid of might infect other people. The drug companies must continue to make new antibiotics for these sicknesses, and frequently you might need an extended time for treatment. A lot of times, doctors prescribe antibiotics if there is a bacterial sickness and not a viral ailment, but almost all patients want their doctor to give them some kind of medication. Viral infections, like a simple cold, usually resolve after a short period of time.

People today mostly rely on pills instead of trying reliable alternative treatments. There are many alternative treatments available that can be found by searching the Internet. Talking to your doctor and developing a treatment plan is something I would highly recommend. Tell your doctor about any other medications or treatments you are using.  Be sure to include herbal supplements and over the counter medications. Many herbal medications can have a negative interaction with your prescription drugs, although occasionally red flags appear on computers to make the physician and pharmacist aware of this possibility. There are occasions when people use their prescription blood thinner but also use an OTC medicine that thins their blood or use prescription medication with Tylenol at the same time they take OTC Tylenol; this is dangerous and could result in permanent damage to the liver.

Purchasing a pill organizer will help you keep from making mistakes with your medications at home. If you have a hard time reading your containers, have a friend or family member help you get ones that are easier to read. Do not keep different medications in the same bottle; this is one way in which mistakes happen. Make a chart with times to use all medications, keeping in mind that several medications have to either be used with food or without food, not taken with grapefruit juice (this is specifically the case with heart medications), or not taken with any other medications. Look at the labels of prescriptions medications with caution – it has important information. Contact the pharmacist to ask questions; they are more than happy to assist you.

Generic drugs are used as a substitute for brand name medications, but that does not mean these medications are inferior; they contain the same main ingredient of the brand name drugs. Insurance plans prefer inexpensive generic medications and the co-payments cost less. It is okay to call a medication by the name it is substituting, if you know it, as some of the names are hard to pronounce. I try to discourage people from memorizing medications by their color or other physical characteristics, because with substitutions, this may vary.

Mistakes with medication at home can be avoided if people spend time learning and asking questions. Just accepting a prescription is not the end of the story. Many medication errors can be prevented by understanding your prescription fully and talking about any concerns you may have.