Safe medication use

This section is designed to help you take your medicine safely. Please take a moment to read:

• Become an informed patient
• Avoid medication errors

Become an informed patient

Being better informed about the medicines you get on prescription should help you obtain maximum benefit from them, while at the same time reduce the chances that you might make a mistake when you take them. To help achieve these aims, we recommend that you:

• Get to know your medical history
• Create a list of the medicines you take as well as information about operations, vaccinations, and allergies, and share this with any healthcare professional you visit to help them provide the most appropriate treatment for you.
• Document important information from your family's medical history, such as that about close relatives who have or had conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, mental illness or intolerance to certain medicines.
• As part of your treatment plan, talk to your doctor and other healthcare professionals about whether changes in your daily life may help you get better, including changing your pattern of sleep, a special diet or changes in exercise schedule.
• Inform your doctor if you have any allergies to medications, even if it is only a suspicion of a previous allergic reaction to a particular medicine, if you are pregnant, have plans to become pregnant, or if you are breast feeding.
• Ask about possible side effects for your medicines and inform your doctor if you think you may have experienced an adverse reaction to one of your medications in the past.
• Follow prescription directions as instructed by your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional, and do not change the way you take them unless instructed by them to do so.
• Monitor how you tolerate your medicines and contact your doctor if you experience anything unusual.
• Understand what to do if you miss a dose or you think you have taken too much of your medicine.

Avoid medication errors

Below you will find tips to help you, your doctor and pharmacist avoid making a mistake with your medicine.

At the Doctor's

• Before your appointment, make a complete list of all medications you take, including those you obtained on prescription and those medicines and dietary supplements that you bought in the pharmacy or elsewhere. This includes herbal and natural remedies. Take the list with you whenever you might have to see a doctor or other healthcare professional.
• Ask your doctor to explain what your medicine is, including its name, how often you should take it, how it is intended it should help you and what you can expect to happen.
• When your doctor writes a prescription, make sure that you can read it.

At the Pharmacy

When collecting your prescription, verify that this is the medicine that your doctor prescribed and ensure your pharmacist gives you a leaflet about your medication. If your medicine is a liquid and you are in doubt about the best way of administering it, ask the pharmacist to explain this to you how. Try talking further with your doctor or pharmacist to clarify the information in a way that you can understand:

• Does my medicine have any other names and what are they? I agree with Brian's comments - also can we cluster the questions as it looks now a very long list.
• What should the medication my doctor prescribed look like?
• Why am I taking it?
• How much should I take and how often?
• Is there a best time to take it?
• How long will I need to take it?
• Are there potential side effects, and what should I do if they happen?
• What should I do if I miss a dose?
• Does this medication interact with my other medications or with any foods?
• Does this medication replace anything else I have been taking?
• Where and how should I store it?
• How soon should I start to feel better?
• When should I report back to my healthcare professional?
• Should I avoid any liquids, foods, other substances or activities while using this medicine?
• Could I become tolerant, dependent or addicted to this medicine? If so, how can I avoid this?
• Where can I get more information about this medicine?
• If the directions state I should take the medication every three or four hours, does that mean throughout the night as well as during the day?
• Is this medication available in a child-resistant container?
• What is this medication's expiration date? When you buy medication without a prescription from your doctor, read the labels carefully - they may contain ingredients you do not want or should not take. Ask your pharmacist for help if you have difficulty selecting the right product. In particular, check you can take this medicine safely if you happen to be taking a prescription medicine

At the hospital

• Take your medications and your list of medications with you when you go to the hospital.
• Ask your doctor the name of each medication he or she prescribes for you and the reason you are taking it. If someone tells you anything different, you will know to ask questions, which may prevent errors.
• Look at every medicine before you take it. If it does look different to your usual medication, ask why.
• Do not let anyone give you medication without them checking your hospital identification bracelet each time. This helps prevent you from getting someone else's medication.
• Before any test or procedure, ask if it will require any dyes or medicines to avoid allergic reactions.
• When you're ready to go home, ask the doctor, nurse or pharmacist to discuss each medication with you and a family member.

At Home

• Keep medications in their original, labelled packaging. This can help you identify each pill and to follow the proper directions.
• Do not store medications where they might get damp or in direct sunlight, because humidity, heat and light can affect a medication's potency and safety.
• Do not store medicines in the refrigerator unless instructed to do so, and keep liquid medicines from freezing.
• Store medications where children cannot see or reach them· Keep medications for people completely separate from pet medications or household chemicals.
• Do not chew, crush or break capsules or tablets unless instructed to do so.
• With liquid medication, use only the measuring device that has been supplied. Many household teaspoons and tablespoons are not accurate.
• Keep phone numbers for your doctors and pharmacist in a convenient location. Know the locations of pharmacies that are open 24 hours in case of an emergency.
• Do not take medications in the dark - although you may think you know exactly what the bottle on your nightstand contains, turn on a light to be safe.
• Never take another person_s prescription medication or share yours with anyone, even if the other person appears to have the same medical condition as you.

Read the patient information leaflet (PIL)

We strongly advise patients to read the patient information leaflet (PIL), which accompanies any regulated medicinal products. The PIL is available in the original packaging of your medication. If your pharmacist made a special order for you, he or she should have a PIL for any drug that it dispenses. Please ask for one if you have not received it.PIL styles will vary from company to company, but generally they must include information under the following sections:

• Description· Clinical Pharmacology
• Indications and Usage
• Contraindications
• Warnings
• Precautions
• Adverse Reactions
• Drug Abuse and Dependence
• Over dosage
• Dosage and Administration
• How Supplied

Please remember that reading the PIL should never replace a discussion with your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional about any medication you are about to take.