Health professionals often assume that their patients can read and write. They routinely provide patients with written information that appears on prescription bottles, and as educational pamphlets, appointment cards and consent forms. Yet a study found that patients with poor reading ability have difficulties understanding about their healthcare and may not recognize when a medication errors occurs. Moreover, the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) found that …
[ Continue Reading... ]Category: Manuals Guides
Pay close attention to how your body reacts after taking a medication and contact your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional immediately if you experience any unusual symptoms. When taking prescription medicines, there are many possible explanations for symptoms, other than a drug reaction. However, if you experience a new symptom and it began after you started taking a new medication, contact your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional immediately. It is important to determine whether the reaction was drug-related and agree on next steps (i.e., should you continue or discontinue the medicine?). Ask about the signs of overdose, so you can recognize the symptoms either in yourself or a member …
[ Continue Reading... ]Take your medicine only as it is prescribed and NEVER exceed the recommended dose unless instructed by your doctor or other healthcare profesisonal. Always take your medication as instructed by your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional, and never change the way you take it unless one of these healthcare professionals instructs you to do so. A medication will provide little benefit if you skip doses or stop taking it before you should, and could be harmful if you exceed the recommended dose. Taking your medicine correctly is very important. Some medications need to be taken with meals, others on an empty stomach. Some are taken only as needed (i.e., only …
[ Continue Reading... ]Ask your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional about any side effects associated with the medication and any specific recommendations about how and when to take it. Virtually any drug will occasionally cause an unwanted reaction. A side effect is a reaction or consequence of medication or therapy that is additional to the desired effect of the medicine. Some side effects are predictable. For example, some antihistamines can cause drowsiness and many cancer therapies can cause hair loss. Side effects are listed in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (This link will take you to a web site to which this Privacy Policy does not apply. You are …
[ Continue Reading... ]Tell your doctor and your pharmacist about all medications you are taking (prescription and over-the-counter), before a new prescription is written or dispensed. You should know the names of all your medications, both prescription and nonprescription (e.g., over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin or cold and allergy remedies, as well as vitamins, herbal remedies, etc.). If you’re seeing more than one doctor make sure to inform each physician of all medications you are taking. It is important your doctors have this information because your new medication may not work well with one or more of those prescription or over-the-counter medicines. Use the Medication Record in this website to list all the …
[ Continue Reading... ]Provide your doctor or healthcare professional with a complete medical history. Be sure to inform him/her of anything unusual about your personal or family health history, or any changes in your diet or lifestyle, before a prescription is written. You know more about you than your doctor possibly can. A visit to your doctor or other healthcare professional is a two-way learning experience. It’s not only a chance for you to find out how you are doing medically, but it’s also a chance for him/her to get an update on any medical and social changes that could have an impact on your health. In addition to providing your doctor or other …
[ Continue Reading... ]