Five questions you should be asking your pharmacist when you pick up medications at the pharmacy to first: get the best out of your medications and second, to prevent potential medication errors.
What Is This Medication Used For
This is extremely important to make sure that the doctor did not make a mistake prescribing something that is not for you. Also, this helps prevent one of the most common Pharmacy dispensing errors: mistaking look alike sound alike drugs or LASA.
Look Alike Sound Alike Drugs
One popular example is clomiphene, which is used for infertility and clomipramine a drug for OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder, because their names are very similar in spelling and doctors hand writings are not the most legible.
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Nowadays, a lot of pharmacies keep them far away from each other and with electronic prescribing, pharmacies significantly decrease the chance of this from happening.
If the Answer Doesn’t Match Your Condition
However, with this being said do not panic if the pharmacist’s answers do not match the condition you’re having. Many medications are approved by the FDA to treat multiple conditions. For example, metformin is mainly prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and would probably be the pharmacist’s answer if you ask what metformin is used for.
But it is also approved to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome, even though it’s not as commonly used. Therefore, if you get an answer that doesn’t match what you’re expecting, just simply ask: “Can this also be used for XYZ?” and insert your condition in there; this way the pharmacist can confirm whether you’re picking up the right medication or not.
How to Use This Medication
This should include the route of administration, dosage, frequency, time of the day, and special instructions, such as without food, and what to do if a dose? For example, metformin ER 500 milligram tablets: take one tablet by mouth once daily with an evening meal, swallow whole and do not cut or Crush; if you miss a dose, take as soon as you remember; however, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses!
What Are the Side Effects
You want to know the most common side effects of your medication so you can prepare yourself mentally in case you experience them. It is also your last chance to decide whether you take the medication at all if you don’t think the benefits are worth all the risks. Unfortunately, you cannot return the medication! Federal law prevents
Pharmacy to accept any return of prescription medication once it’s left the pharmacy or any opened over-the-counter medication for safety reasons. However, just remember these side effects might or might not happen to you; and also when it comes to immediate need medications for infections or pain, you should not let the side effects deter you from taking the medications since they’re most likely short-term.
Also, not all side effects are undesirable. Some ADHD medications or anti-diabetic injections have weight loss listed as their side effect and many patients were actually motivated to take them because of this side effect!
Allergic Reactions Are Different
Any reactions such as rash, hives, or the worst of all, anaphylactic reactions, such as shortness of breath or fainting, are not considered side effects!
These are allergic reactions and to prevent them, you have to let the pharmacist know all your allergies and ask him or her to check whether your medication contains any of the allergens.
Does It Interact With Anything You’re Taking
When you ask this question, make sure you also tell the pharmacist about any over-the-counter medication or supplement you’re currently taking. Also, it’s a good idea to go to the same Pharmacy or the same chain of pharmacies for all your medications, so they have a complete list of your medications handy to check for potential interactions.
With newer Technologies in the pharmacy nowadays, drug interactions are checked automatically during the dispensing process. However, the computer cannot check what it doesn’t have, so if you use different pharmacies and over-the-counter medications or supplements, you should have a complete list with you, either on a piece of paper or on your phone, to make this process easier.
Be Patient at Pickup
Please just be patient! Sometimes you do not have time for consultation when you pick up your medication, or the pharmacists are tied up on the phone or giving a flu shot Etc… A lot of retail pharmacists are by themselves with super-heavy workloads and minimal technician help.
If you can’t wait, you can call the pharmacy back during non-rush hours, or if you prefer to look up the information yourself, you can check out this website from the National Institute of Health called thedailymed.gov. It is a free medication resource that has all the package inserts, aka drug information, of all the medications that are available in the U.S market.
Conclusion
You need to know all these things in order to take the medication safely and in the most effective way. Five questions to get the best out of your medications and to prevent potential medication errors.
FAQs
Can prescription medication be returned to the pharmacy?
Federal law prevents Pharmacy to accept any return of prescription medication once it’s left the pharmacy or any opened over-the-counter medication for safety reasons.
Where should medications be stored at home?
Do not keep any medication or supplement in your medicine cabinet inside your bathroom because the moisture can ruin them. Instead, find a safe and dry Place Out Of Reach of children to store most of your medications.
How do you know if a medication needs to be in the fridge?
Medications that need to be kept in the fridge will always have a fridge sticker or writing on the label.
What is the difference between side effects and allergic reactions?
Any reactions such as rash, hives, or the worst of all, anaphylactic reactions, such as shortness of breath or fainting, are not considered side effects! These are allergic reactions.
Where can you look up drug information yourself?
You can check out this website from the National Institute of Health called thedailymed.gov. It is a free medication resource that has all the package inserts, aka drug information, of all the medications that are available in the U.S market.
