The right way to take your medicines

The first rule in taking medicines is to know your medicines. If you don’t know what your medicine is for, and its possible side effects, then you may be in danger. Make sure you understand each prescription the doctor gives you.

List down the following: 1) What’s the generic name and brand name? 2) What’s the dosage, how do you take it, and how long should you take it? 3) What are the possible side effects?

Medicine Do’s

1. Do take each medication exactly as it has been prescribed. Read and follow your doctor’s prescription.

2. Do know how to take your medicines, for example, by mouth, before meals or after meals.

3. Do tell your doctor about all your other medicines, vitamins, and supplements.

4. Do keep your medicines out of children’s reach.

5. Do inform your doctor if you plan to get pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

6. Do tell your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction before to a medicine.

7. Do ask your doctor if you need to avoid certain foods or alcohol while taking your medicines.

Medicine Don’ts

1. Don’t take medicines given to you by your neighbor. Trying out someone else’s medicine is extremely dangerous. Doctors prescribe a medicine based on many factors such as age, build, gender, pre-existing conditions, risks, and benefits.

2. Don’t take expired medicines.

3. Don’t change your medicine dose and schedule without informing your doctor.

4. Don’t stop your maintenance medicines just because you don’t feel anything. Ask your doctor if you can stop your medicines already.

5. Don’t store your medicines in hot or very cold locations. Don’t expose your medicines to sunlight. Don’t put it inside your car, and don’t store it in the bathroom either where it’s damp and humid.

6. Don’t miss any dose of your medicines. Do not try to save up on money by taking your medicines only when you feel something. It doesn’t work that way. (Don’t be hardheaded, please.) Some medicines are supposed to be taken as maintenance doses.

How to remember to take your medicines

1. You can use a large calendar. You can put a mark on when you need to take your next dose. For example, some medicines need to be injected weekly.

2. Try those special medicine containers or pill sorters. I’m sure you’ve seen those plastic containers with “M-T-W-Th-F-Sat-Sun” labels. Some are even subdivided into AM and PM containers. These can help elderly patients who are on a lot of medicines. This technique also helps prevent accidentally taking your medicines twice.

3. Set a visual reminder for you to take your medicines. For those taking only one or two medicines, you can just put them in one container. One technique is to invert your medicine container after you’ve taken your morning dose. Then when you see it’s inverted in the evening, that means you need to take the evening dose and put the container upright again. Try what works for you.

4. Put your medicines close to something you go to in the morning. For example, if you have breakfast at home daily, you can put your medicines on your dining table. Or you can put it beside your makeup kit before you go to work.

5. If you have lots of medicines, you may need to write them down on a piece of cardboard paper. Then tape it in front of your mirror to remind yourself.

6. Divide your supply medicines. You can leave most of your medicines at home and store a few extra tablets in your office. Hence, should you forget to take your meds in the morning, you can still take them in the office.

7. Have another person remind you. Your spouse, son or daughter can help remind you to take your medicines. He/she can check if you remembered to take your medicines for the day.

One common problem is what to do in case you forgot to take your medicines. Should you take twice the dose the next day? The answer is generally “no.” You don’t have to take twice the medicines on the next scheduled dose, because this can lead to an overdose of the medicines.

However, if you keep missing your tablets, this means that your condition (for example, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or infection) will not be controlled and you may be in danger. There is no short cut or easier way to save on medicines. If you want to get well and stay healthy, just take your prescribed medicines. Good luck!