When You're Mixing You Decide Not to Claim the Other Side of Your Family

Medicines help us live longer and healthier. But, taking them the wrong way or mixing certain drugs can be dangerous. Yous demand to be careful to keep track of your medicines and use them safely.

What Are Medicines? What Are Drugs?

Medicines, often referred to as drugs, can be:

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

Brand sure your dr. knows about ALL the medicines you take. This includes those prescribed by other doctors, as well equally vitamins, supplements, herbal remedies, and over-the-counter drugs you employ every now and and then.

What You Need to Know Near Your Medicines

Talk with your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider before starting a new medicine. Become over your allergies and any problems y'all have had with other medicines, such every bit rashes, trouble animate, indigestion, dizziness, or mood changes.

You will also want to find out whether yous'll demand to modify or terminate taking whatsoever of your other prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs while using this new medicine. Mixing some drugs tin cause unpleasant and sometimes serious issues. For case, it is unsafe to apply aspirin when taking a blood-thinning medicine.

Because of this, it is important to keep a list of all prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies you lot take. Print and fill out the Tracking Your Medications: Worksheet to help you keep track of your medications.

When starting a new medication, make sure to write down the name of the drug and why it's being prescribed for you. Also, make notation of any special instructions for how to accept the medicine.

How Tin can a Pharmacist Assistance?

A pharmacist can reply many of your questions about prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. Attempt to accept all your prescriptions filled at the same chemist's and then your records are in 1 place. This volition help alert the pharmacist if a new drug might cause a trouble with something else you are taking. If you're not able to utilize merely one pharmacy, show the pharmacist at each chemist's shop your list of medicines and over-the-counter drugs when you lot drop off your prescription.

When yous have a prescription filled:

• Tell the pharmacist if you have trouble swallowing pills. In that location may be liquid medicine bachelor. Exercise not chew, pause, or shell tablets without first finding out if the drug will still piece of work.
• Brand sure you can read and understand the name of the medicine as well as the directions on the container and on the color-coded warning stickers on the bottle. If the label is difficult to read, ask your pharmacist to use larger blazon.
• Check that you can open up the container. If not, ask the pharmacist to put your medicines in bottles that are easier to open.
• Ask about special instructions on where to store a medicine. For example, should it be kept in the refrigerator or in a dry place?
• Check the label on your medicine earlier leaving the chemist's. Information technology should have your name on it and the directions given by your dr.. If information technology doesn't, don't take it, and talk with the pharmacist.

Check the label to ensure yous are not allergic to whatsoever of the ingredients. Make sure your doctor and pharmacist have an up-to-date list of your allergies so they don't requite you lot a medicine that contains something yous are allergic to.

Learn how to read a prescription characterization in the gratis booklet Safety Utilize of Medicines: Take Your Medicines the Right Way—Each Day!

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

Side Effects

Unwanted or unexpected symptoms or feelings that occur when y'all take medicine are chosen side effects. Side furnishings can be relatively small, such as a headache or a dry out mouth. They can besides be life-threatening, such as severe bleeding or irreversible harm to the liver or kidneys. Medications' side effects besides can affect your driving.

If y'all experience side effects, write them down and so you lot can report them to your dr. accurately. Telephone call your doctor right away if you have any problems with your medicines or if yous are worried that the medicine might exist doing more harm than skillful. He or she may be able to change your medication to another that will work just as well.

Keeping Track of Your Medicines

Here are some tips to help yous go along track of all your medicines:

• Make a list. Write downwards all medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. The list should include the proper noun of each medicine, corporeality y'all take, and time(southward) you lot take it. If it'due south a prescription, also note the physician who prescribed it and reason it was prescribed. Testify the list to all of your healthcare providers, including physical therapists and dentists. Proceed one copy in a condom place at abode and one in your wallet or pocketbook.
• Create a file. Save all the written information that comes with your medicines and keep it somewhere you tin can hands refer to information technology.
• Check expiration dates on bottles. If a medicine is past its expiration date, y'all may be able to dispose of it at your chemist's shop, or, bank check with your doctor near how to safely discard it. Your doctor can also tell you if you will need a refill.
• Keep medicines out of reach of young children. Avoid taking medicines in front of them, every bit they might endeavor to re-create y'all. Also, if your medicines are kept in bottles without child rubber caps because they are hard to open, be extra careful well-nigh where you store medicines.

Taking Medicines Safely

Here are some tips to help you have your medicines safely:

• Follow instructions. Read all medicine labels. Brand certain to have your medicines the right fashion. For example, don't use an over-the-counter cough and cold syrup if you merely have a runny olfactory organ and no cough.
• Use the right amount. Don't have a larger dose of a medicine thinking it will help y'all more. Information technology tin can be very dangerous, even deadly. And, don't skip or accept half doses of a prescription drug to save money. (Talk with your dr. or chemist if you lot can't afford the medicine. There may be help. Read Saving Money on Medicines for more data.)
• Take medicine on time. Some people use meals or bedtime equally reminders to take their medicine. Other people use charts, calendars, or weekly pill boxes. Yous can also ready timers and write reminders to take your medication.
• Turn on a lite. Don't take medicine in the dark; otherwise, you lot might make a mistake.
• Report problems. Call your doctor right away if you have any problem with your prescription or over-the-counter medicine, or if yous are worried that it might be doing more harm than good. There may be something else you tin have.
• Tell your doctor about alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can affect how well your medicines work. Be honest with your doctor about how much y'all utilize.
• Check before stopping. Take prescription medicine until it's finished or until your physician says it's all right to stop. Note that some medicines are supposed to be taken just "as needed."
• Don't share. Do not take medicines prescribed for another person or give yours to someone else.

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

For More Information Nearly Using Medicines Safely

This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure information technology is accurate and up to engagement.

Content reviewed: June 26, 2019

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Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/safe-use-medicines-older-adults

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