1. list all medicines that you take. Include name, dose and frequency. Don't forget to vitamins, minerals, herbs, topical medications, eye and ear drops, sprays, aids weight loss, oral contraceptives.
2. know the brand name and generic medication. In fact, many people know the medicines that they take from its color and size rather than its name.
3. know what condition/disease the drug is for. It is important because you are more likely to use it properly, more likely to know what to expect from the medication and better able to report what you use and problems to your doctor and pharmacist.
4. avoid the wrong prescription from the pharmacy. Check the medication that is to collect. Make sure that it corresponds with the prescription.
5. use the online drug interaction checker that allows you to insert the drugs you take and verify interactions possible.
6. conditions that put the person at the highest risk for drug interactions are:-Recruitment of three or more medications for chronic conditions.
-Genetically based variation in ability to metabolize drugs.
-Advanced age.
-Some diseases (anemia, asthma, cardiovascular disease, intensive care patients/critical care, diabetes, epilepsy, gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, Hypothyroid)
-People edited by different doctors.
7. Drugs most likely to be clinically significant interactions involved in are:
-Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index (e.g. warfarin, digoxin)
-Medications that require dosage control cautious (antidiabetic, antihypertensive drugs)
-Inducing liver enzymes (rifampicin, phenytoin) and inhibitors (e.g., cimetidine, ketoconazole)
-Medications with multiple pharmacological effects
8. pay attention to how you feel after the start of the new medicine and note any changes. Assume that any new symptoms that develop after the launch of a new drug may be caused by drugs. Use online tool to check for side effects.
9. tell your doctor if the medication doesn't seem to be effective. No drug has 100% effectiveness rate.
10. avoid treatment of adverse drug reactions and drug-induced disease with multiple medications. Distinguish the true disease and adverse reaction to the medication. Adverse reaction should be managed by lowering the dose of the drug offending or replacing it with a safer alternative.
11. weigh the benefits and risks, making the choice of drug treatment. If the drug is a preferred treatment for your medical problem, try to choose the most effective and safest. You must decide which risks you can and will accept in order to get the benefits you want.
12. start the medication with the lowest dose possible. A lower dose will cause less adverse effects, which are almost always related to the dose.
13. remove unnecessary medications. At least every three to six months, with the doctor regularly review the need to continue to each drug.
14. know when the medication should be taken: before, during or after meals. Food can increase, decrease or delay the absorption of many drugs. Interactions of food can lead to a failure of the treatment or toxic effects of drug therapy.
15. be aware of your medication needs and prepared for any emergency. Store delivery 3-5 days of medications that are important for health.
16. don't skip or reduce doses. Missed doses of medicine for glaucoma, for example, may lead to optic nerve damage or blindness. Missed doses of medicine heart can lead to cardiac arrest.
17. learn to stop using the medication. Many drugs (corticosteroids, antidepressants) should not be discontinued abruptly.
18. many sources recommend that you throw out the unused medication. However, if you anticipate that you may need the same medicine as soon as possible, it makes sense to reserve the rest of the drug. Can help you save money. So, if you decide to save the rest of the unused medicine for future use "just in case"; follow these steps:
-Save the medication in the original container with the lid closed. Will help you to identify the drug over time and provide proper storage conditions
-When to use the old medicines, check the expiration date. In case you can't find the expiration date, throw out the drug
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