Guidelines for Safe Medicine Use

Although medications serve a useful, often life-saving purpose, they must be taken correctly to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

The following guidelines describe what you should keep in mind when taking medications. You can get information about the specific drugs you take from your doctor, pharmacist or the medicine label.

Protect yourself

When you're prescribed a medicine for the first time:

• Tell your health care provider or pharmacist about any other medicines, herbal remedies or nutritional supplements you currently take.

• Tell your provider or pharmacist about any allergies or medical conditions you might have, such as pregnancy, high blood pressure, glaucoma or diabetes.

• Before leaving the doctor's office or pharmacy, be sure you fully understand how to take the medication and which foods or beverages to avoid.

• Read the printout that your received with your prescription. If you did not get a printout, write down all instructions for future reference.

Prevent tampering

When buying or taking any medicine, follow these tips to protect yourself against tampering:

• Read the label: Identify the seals and other protective features.

• Look at the box: Inspect the outer packaging for signs of tampering.

• Examine the medicine: Check for capsules or tablets that differ from others in the same bottle.

• Never take medicine in the dark: Turn on the light so you can check the packaging and the medication.   

Reading the label

 When taking nonprescription medicine, read the label. Medicine labels tell you:

• Which symptoms the medicine can relieve.

• How much to take.

• When and when not to take it, including which diseases or conditions that preclude using it.

• When to stop using the medicine.

• Interaction warnings.

• If and when to consult a doctor.

• The medicine's active ingredients.

Taking prescription medicine

• Take it as prescribed, either until the medicine is used up or discontinue as instructed. Symptoms sometimes disappear before the condition clears up, but your recovery may take longer if you stop taking the medicine too soon.

• Don't take more medicine than prescribed.

• Take medicines at the proper time. In some cases, they should be taken either before, after or during meals. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about when to take your medications for the best results.

• Never take any medicine that is prescribed for someone else or that has expired.

Taking any medicine

• Don't consume alcoholic beverages until you ask your health care provider or pharmacist about whether it's safe to do so. Alcohol can cause dangerous interactions with many medications.

• When taking medicine at bedtime, take it 20 minutes before you lie down. This gives time for the medicine to clear the esophagus and avoid irritating it.

• All medicines should be taken with 8 ounces of water to make sure they are flushed into the stomach. If you don't, your esophagus may become irritated.

• Check for an expiration date on the label to make sure the medicine is still effective. Dispose of out-of-date medicines.

• Keep all medicines in their original containers to eliminate the risk of confusing one medicine with another, not having the proper instructions on hand and taking outdated medicines.

• Always replace child-resistant caps carefully if children are in your household.

• Store all medicines as instructed on the label.

Children and medications

• Always read the label to determine the proper dosage for your child's age or weight.

• Give the proper dosage. Twice the recommended dose isn't safe even if your child seems twice as sick as the last time he or she took the medication.

• Follow the age-limit dosing recommendations.

• Avoid making conversions. If the label says two teaspoons and you're using a dosing cup with ounces only, get another measuring device.

• To avoid interactions, always talk to your doctor or pharmacist before giving two medicines to a child at the same time.