Medicines help us stay healthy but at the same time one cannot forget the fact that medicines can also cause harm to our body if taken in the wrong manner. In many cases medication errors can even prove fatal.  Given below are some handy tips you can bear in mind while buying and consuming prescription medicines to ensure that you are on the safer side.



Be Careful While Taking Supplements With Prescription Drugs: Some dietary supplements can cause harmful reactions if taken along with prescription drugs. So think twice before popping those pills together. The best way to be on the safer side is to consult your doctor and check with him to ensure that it would be safe to take the two together.

A simple tip would be to carry a bag containing all medicines and supplements that you are already taking when paying a visit to your physician. This will allow the doctor to prescribe you the right medicines.

Remind The Doctor Of Allergic Conditions: While visiting the doctor always make it a point to disclose any allergic conditions that you might have to certain food products or chemicals.

Check the Expiry Dates:  While buying medicines make sure to check for expiry dates. Do not buy medicines that are nearing their expiry dates. 

Buy Medicines Only From Registered Pharmacies: If you are using the internet to buy prescription drugs make sure that you are buying it from a registered pharmacy. Here are some to identify a genuine pharmacy from a fake one.

Make Sure The Medicine Is What The Doctor Ordered: Double check to ensure that the medicine is exactly what the doctor has prescribed. The pharmacist is human too and can make mistakes at times. So to be on the safer side it is always advisable to check if the medicines are right. While going for a refill check to ensure that there is no change in the color, shape, size or brand of the medicines.   

Know Your Medicines: Ask questions to your doctor or pharmacist about the medicines you are going to take. Get to know everything about the medicines including side effects, dosage, when to take them, when not to take them etc.

For instance, there are many medicines that should not be taken after drinking alcohol or while using tobacco. There are a few others that might make you dizzy and should not be taken if you are going to be driving.

Look Out For Side effects: If your medicines are causing harmful side-effects check with your doctor immediately. It could be that you are allergic to the medicine or may require a low dose.

Store Medicines Properly: Store your medicines in a cool & dry place away from direct sunlight. Consider storing them in labeled boxes so you do not consume the wrong medicines in a hurry. Each labeled box can have a separate set of medicines. For instance, you can store supplements in a separate box and prescription medicines in other boxes depending on the conditions they treat. Always remember to keep medicines in a safe place away from reach of children.

Set reminders: Make it a point to take your medications at the right time every day. A simple way to achieve this is to set reminders either in the form of stickers or through alarms. Simply set multiple recurring alarms on your mobile phone or alarm clock and you will never forget to take your medicines again.

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Article by Tony Johnson