Health and Pills

Archive for the ‘Manuals Guides’ Category

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 of the family. In the event of an overdose, you’ll want to know what to do, such as call a poison control center or other emergency number.

Using medicines properly is very important for your health. If you have any questions, contact your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional before, during, and after taking medicines.

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 when you experience symptoms), others at set times.

Before starting any new medication, make sure to ask your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional how and when it should be taken. If the directions say to take the medication every three or four hours, ask if that means throughout the night as well as during the day. Should it be taken at the same time every day? Are there certain foods, drinks, other medicines or activities you should avoid while taking the medicine? What happens if you miss a dose?

Also ask if there are any precautions you should follow while taking the drug. For example, some medications may cause drowsiness, so you should not drive a car or operate heavy machinery while taking them. Other drugs may require you to stay away from certain foods or ingredients (e.g., alcohol, caffeine). If you will be traveling, find out if your medication can be used in different climates.

Find out how long it will take before your medicine starts to work and when you should begin to notice an improvement. While taking medications such as drugs that lower your cholesterol or blood pressure, you may need to undergo medical tests to show how the medicine is working. Ask how often you will need to be tested and how and when you can find out the results of these tests.

If you are a caregiver for a child or another person, you may have to remind them to take their medication or administer it to them yourself. If your child goes to school, contact the school nurse to help him/her take medicines on time and safely.

Some products offer aids that can help remind you to take your medicine on time and help you keep track of the doses you take. These aids include calendars, containers with sections for daily doses, and containers that beep when it is time for you to take your medicine. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional what is available.

If you are unclear about the prescribing directions, ask your healthcare professional to explain them to you until you do understand.

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 solely responsible for your interactions with such web sites.) approved labeling for the drug.

Some adverse reactions are unexpected, may be serious, and are unpredictable. Serious adverse reactions are also, in general, rare. The causes of such reactions include medication errors (e.g., overdose), or interactions between different drugs or between drugs and certain foods. Call your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional immediately if you think you’ve experienced an adverse drug reaction to your medication.

Do not be afraid to ask your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professionals any questions or concerns you have about your medications. They can help you anticipate and understand your medicine’s side effects and help you deal with them.

Pharmaceutical companies track adverse events and they must notify the FDA when they learn of side effects. Many pharmaceutical companies offer toll-free numbers you can call if you have questions about your medicine.

Most companies also provide information via web sites on the Internet. The types and amount of information will vary by company.

There are other sources of information you can access to get more information about your medication and possible side effects.

Package Inserts

The Package Insert (also referred to as ‘Labeling,’ ‘Prescribing Information’, or ‘PI’) is prepared by your medicine’s manufacturer for healthcare professionals who prescribe or dispense prescription medicines. PIs ordinarily follow a particular format mandated by the Food and Drug Administration. Your pharmacy should have a current package insert for any drug dispensed. If it does not, ask your pharmacist to get one for you.

Package inserts are not the same as the abbreviated safety information printouts that many pharmacies now offer with your prescription. They may also vary from the labeling information that accompanies most advertisements for prescription medicines (these are called “brief summaries”). The brief summary contains a portion of the full prescribing information. It contains information relating to side effects, warnings, precautions, and contraindications (circumstances under which your medicine should not be used) of the drug, and sometimes is written using more easily understood language.

For several prescription medicines, such as oral contraceptives and other hormone-based products, the FDA requires that manufacturers provide special materials (patient package inserts) written for consumers. The FDA has reviewed these materials. If you receive a prescription for one of these products, the patient package insert should be included. If it is not, ask your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional for this information.

Many package inserts can also be found in the Physician’s Desk Reference ® (often referred to as the PDR). For over 50 years, this publication has served as an annual compendium of FDA-approved labeling for many prescription drugs. Keep in mind, however, that the PDR is published only once a year, so any revisions to the package insert occurring in the interim may not appear in the version you are looking at (Note: two supplements to the PDR are published every year). Check at the very end of the package insert or the PDR entry to see when it was last updated. If you’re not sure you have the latest version, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional, or contact the company.

The PDR ® Family Guide to Prescription Drugs ® is another good resource. In addition to listing each medication under its familiar brand name, as well as its generic name, the publication includes important information about side effects specifically attributed to the drug by the manufacturer. It also provides full information on standard dosage recommendations and provides advice on what to do when you miss a dose of your medication, while alerting you to the warning signs of overdose.

Check your local library or bookstore to see if they have a current version of these books. Both are also available on the Internet.

Other Sources

The Internet offers a number of sources of information about approved drugs.

While you may find a wealth of data on the Net, however, keep in mind that these sites generally do not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions of these medicines, nor are they intended as medical advice for individual problems or for making an evaluation as to the risks and benefits of taking a particular drug. It is still best to discuss this information with your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional to find out how any medicine applies to you and your particular situation.

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 prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines you are currently taking and have taken recently, and make sure to share it with your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional.

To get your list started, ask your pharmacist for a computer printout of all your medications. It’s a good idea to get all your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy. This way, your pharmacist will have a complete record of all your prescription medicines and can crosscheck for drug interactions. He/she can also check your medication history to see what you have been prescribed for a particular condition in the past. If you have an emergency prescription or mail-order prescription filled elsewhere, bring the bottle/tube to your regular pharmacist the next time you’re in, so it can be entered into your file.

Medication Record

MEDICATIONS YOU TAKE EVERY DAY (complete for each drug)

MEDICATION NAME (Brand and/or generic name) ________________________________

PRESCRIPTION OR NONPRESCRIPTION ________________________________

If Prescription, date it was prescribed and name of prescribing doctor or other healthcare professional
______________________________________________________

DOSAGE (pill size, number of times you take it daily) ________________________________

PURPOSE (why it was prescribed or why you are taking it) ________________________________

HOW TAKEN? (with/without food, time of day) ________________________________

ANY SIDE EFFECTS? (list any side effects you’ve experienced and any action associated with these effects. For example, “stomach upset if not taken with food.”)
______________________________________________________

MEDICATIONS YOU TAKE PERIODICALLY (including medications for allergies, pain, headache, stomach upset, etc.)

MEDICATION NAME (Brand and/or generic name) ________________________________

PRESCRIPTION OR NONPRESCRIPTION ________________________________

If Prescription, date it was prescribed and name of prescribing doctor or other healthcare professional ______________________________________________________

DOSAGE (pill size, number of times you take it daily) ________________________________

PURPOSE (why was it prescribed or why are you taking it) ________________________________

HOW TAKEN? (with/without food, time of day) ________________________________

ANY SIDE EFFECTS? (list any side effects you’ve experienced and any action associated with these effects. For example, “stomach upset if not taken with food.”) ________________________________

MEDICATIONS YOU HAVE TAKEN IN THE PAST (list drugs you’ve taken with success and those you’ve had problems with)

MEDICATION NAME (Brand and/or generic name) ________________________________

PRESCRIPTION OR NONPRESCRIPTION ________________________________

WHEN TAKEN? (month/year) ________________________________

PURPOSE (why was it prescribed or why did you take it) ________________________________

DID IT WORK? ________________________________

LIST ANY SIDE EFFECTS ________________________________

LIST ANY PROBLEMS (include reason and severity of problem. For example, “had allergic reaction”)
______________________________________________________

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 healthcare professional with a list of medicines you are currently taking or have taken recently, be prepared to answer questions about your medical history, including surgeries and immunizations (vaccinations). Make a list of any allergies you have and document your family history (e.g., conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease). If you have previous medical records, have them sent, or if they are in your possession, bring them with you. Tell your doctor or other healthcare professional about changes in your day-to-day life, such as your sleeping and eating patterns (for example, are you on a low-salt, low-sugar, or any other special diet?, are you on a new shift at work?).

All these things can help the healthcare professional determine the best possible prescription for you if one is needed. Also make sure to let them know:

• Any allergies to specific medications, or if you suspect you have previously experienced an adverse or allergic drug reaction to a particular medicine. If possible, provide the brand name and generic name (also called the chemical or scientific name) of the medicine, the dosage, and any side effects you experienced. This information can be entered into your permanent record.
• If you are now or soon planning to become pregnant, or if you are currently nursing a baby. Some medications should not be taken by women intending to become pregnant, during pregnancy or while nursing.
• Any illnesses or problems for which another doctor or healthcare professional is currently treating or has recently treated you.