Do you really know the ins and outs of your prescribed and over the counter medications? Over or under medicating can be serious and that is where reading and understanding drug labels becomes extremely important.
“If you survey people, they will tell you that they read drug labels,” said Pranish Kantesaria, ParmD, coordinator for research and business development for the Department of Pharmacy at IU Health. “If you look at the research, it will show that no, they do not do a good job of reading labels.”
This failure to read and/or understand drug labels is evident in the amount of mistakes consumers make when taking drugs. Furthermore, people can have a false sense of trust with their physician or the prescription drug name and don’t take the time to read all of the necessary information.
“Any medication is a foreign substance to your body,” added Kantesaria.
The bottom line is medication errors can be preventable. To help consumers navigate drug labels and become better consumers, here are a few helpful tips.
Prescribed medication
n When your doctor prescribes a medication, understand what his/her intentions are for you when taking the medication.
n Choose one pharmacy that you are comfortable with. Not only will your medication profile be easier to navigate, you will be able to develop a report with the pharmacist so that they can get to know you and know what types of drugs are best for you.
n When you receive your medications from the pharmacy, check the patient name, address, doctor’s name and name of the drug. Pharmacists do make mistakes, so make sure the medication is intended for you.
n Drug labels have different size fonts or letters. Make sure you read everything carefully on the label.
n Kantesaria said that at times, people are afraid to admit they don’t understand a drug label. If a drug name or the label is confusing, don’t be afraid to talk with the pharmacist.
n Determine how much medicine to take and when to take it. For example, the bottle may specify that one tablet should be taken twice a day or take 1 tbsp. four times a day. If the medicine label states that it should be taken three times a day, it should be taken roughly every 8 hours.
Look for the side effects and special instructions and do not ignore them. Common instructions include “do not operate machinery while taking this medicine,” “do not crush medication,” “take with food” or “keep out of direct sunlight.”
n Always take the entire dosage amount.
n Always follow storage instructions.
n If you don’t intend to read the drug information that accompanies the drug immediately, store it in a safe place to reference it at your leisure. Any medication information that you take for the first time, should always be kept and filed.
Over-The-Counter drugs (OTC)
n OTC drugs are not necessarily safer than prescribed drugs and do contain severe side effects if abused.
n When taking pain medication, read the instructions and understand whether the medicine is to be taken regularly or only as needed. A labels that reads, “Take every four hours as needed” should be taken only when pain is felt, but a labels that reads, “Take every six hours” should be taken whether symptoms are experienced or not.
n It’s easy to unintentionally overdose on over the counter medication, so follow the instructions exactly and take only the recommended dosage – do not continue to pop pills. If the medicine is not working, contact a physician or pharmacist.
n One pain medication is not superior over another – it’s all about function and individual preference. For example, Tylenol is best for a fever while Advil, or ibuprofen, is best for a sore knee.
n When taking liquid medication, use the doser that comes with the medication and only take the recommended amounts.
n Make sure the packaging has not been compromised or tampered with.
n Some natural herbs and supplements can also be dangerous. Some can affect how your body absorbs prescribed/OTC medicine, speed up or slow down the breakdown of the medication or block the receptor the medication is intended for, among other issues. Do research and/or ask your doctor or pharmacist how the herbs or supplements affect your medication regimen.
General information
n Never take medication beyond the expiration date.
n Read all instructions carefully.
n If you ever have any doubt or questions, call your doctor or pharmacist.
n Keep an updated list of all your medications in your purse/wallet at all times. If needed, distribute a list to a trusted friend or family member. If you ever get into an accident, that list could save your life.
