Medication is an important part of many people’s lives, whether it’s buying over-the-counter medications at the local pharmacy or taking multiple prescriptions daily to manage chronic health conditions. But the correct use of these drugs comes with a certain responsibility. Have you been your own pharmacist lately? Before you self-diagnose and stock up on meds, heed an experienced pharmacist: Here are 6 common mistakes people make when taking meds – avoid them and stay healthy!
Taking medicine with food:
Eating a meal before taking a medicine may decrease its effectiveness or cause a delayed response. In some cases, the food eaten can interfere with the absorption of the drug, leading to the wrong dosage and ineffective treatment. Also, certain types of food should be avoided as they can cause dangerous side effects of certain medications.
Using medicines after their expiry date:
Medicines become less potent and less effective after their expiry date. This means that if you are in the habit of consuming an “expired” medicine, it may not work as intended and may even cause harm by increasing the risk of side effects or toxic reactions in the body due to degradation of the ingredients of the drug formula.
Mixing drugs without consulting a doctor:
Combining multiple medications can have serious implications for health and well-being, especially if the medications interact in unexpected ways. For example, birth control pills may become less effective when taken together with antibiotics such as tetracycline or doxycycline, while others, such as ibuprofen, may increase blood pressure when taken together. along with other types of blood pressure medications. It is therefore important to speak with a doctor before mixing prescription medications.
Skipping doses:
Skipping doses of prescribed medications can lead to undertreatment, leading to worsening of symptoms or the onset of new symptoms that require more intensive care than would have been considered if dosing instructions had been followed correctly at the start of treatment . Also, skipping doses can make it more difficult for doctors to adjust appropriate doses later, if needed, due to the lack of data on actual drug intake over a period of time, which doctors typically use to measure the results of treatments and adjust doses accordingly based on these measurements.
Not completing prescribed treatments:
Drug therapy is prescribed for a specific duration to effectively treat all symptoms and reduce or prevent recurrence by achieving full efficacy of all doses taken during that time (eg antibiotics such as penicillin). Stopping medication prematurely can lead to the formation of resistant bacteria, which will make it much more difficult to treat infections in future episodes, as these bacteria will no longer respond to common treatments previously administered successfully. Likewise, it can mean that the underlying conditions are not sufficiently addressed, which triggers other long-term medical problems due to inadequate treatment during the initial stages, when the symptoms presented themselves. for the first time and required medical intervention in order to resolve them effectively.
Poor communication between patients and pharmacists:
Pharmacists play an important role in ensuring that patients receive safe and effective treatments through clear communication regarding potential interactions between different drugs or dosages, instructions for use (for example, how often to take medication), symptoms that may indicate overdose or misuse (e.g. nausea, vomiting, dizziness), possible side effects, etc. This is why it is important that the patient and the pharmacist take the time to verify all the information provided by each other before committing to any process related to the administration/taking of the said prescription. This way, any errors are caught earlier, avoiding the potentially dangerous consequences of incorrect use/administration of prescription drugs due to miscommunication between the parties involved in this process.
