Medication Dos and Don'ts

If you are prescribed several medications by different doctors, you are at risk for experiencing negative drug interactions. One medication could cause another to be ineffective or potentially dangerous. For example, over-the-counter medication, such as antihistamines, can have adverse effects when taken with other sedatives. It is important to talk to your pharmacist about both prescription and over- the-counter medications. Your pharmacist serves as a very important link among all members of your healthcare team and can help monitor for harmful drug interactions if you consolidate all your prescriptions at one pharmacy.

Also, not refilling your medications can be very dangerous. For instance, if you have high blood pressure and do not refill your prescription there could be consequences such as kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, and blindness (hypertensive retinopathy). The only person who should decide if you should stop your medication is your physician.

One in three people stop taking prescribed medications before the next refill. This typically occurs because people cannot afford their medicine. Talk to your pharmacist about this issue so he/she can help find other alternatives or reach out to your doctor to see if there is a less expensive generic substitute that is more suitable for you.

Not taking your medications properly can lead to your illness worsening. Fifty percent of patients do not take their prescriptions as directed by their doctor. Pharmacists can help to educate consumers about prescription usage and assist in making sure you are taking them as directed by your doctor.

This information is brought to you by The Doctors Prescription for Health, sponsored by CVS/pharmacy. For more health information, please visit www.cvs.com.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• CVS
• CVS/pharmacy
• Medication
• Health
• Prescriptions
• Antihistamines
• Sedatives
• Pharmacist
• Blood Pressure
• Strokes
• Heart
• Kidneys
• Medicine