One of the most effective weapons against problems with medicines is to get all the facts.
Here's what you should know about each medicine you take:
Name. Know either the brand name or the generic
name.
Purpose. Find out what the drug is for and how
it is supposed to help. Should it reduce pain or fever? Should it lower blood pressure or
cure infection?
How and when to take it. Find out when and how
often you should take the medication. Should you take it before, with, or after meals?
Should you take it at bedtime? If it is prescribed "as needed" what does that
mean? What should you do if you miss a dose?
How long to take it. Many medicines need to be
finished completely or continued for several days even though you or your loved one feels
better. Stopping a medicine too soon may not allow it to work completely, resulting in a
relapse or flare-up of the original problem. Other medicine is intended only for a short
time and should not be continually refilled unless necessary.
What to expect. Know what results to expect from
the medicine and what to do if these results do not occur.
How quickly it will work. Find out how long it
should take for the medicine to work.
Some medicines act quickly, for example, nitroglycerin for angina (chest pain). Other
medicines take time to work; for example, antidepressants may take four weeks or longer to
be effective and some drugs for arthritis may take several weeks to ease pain.
Can the medicine be crushed. If you or your
loved one has trouble swallowing pills, you may ask the doctor or pharmacist if the
medicine can be crushed and taken in a soft food such as apple sauce.
Possible side effects. Any medicine can have
side effects. Side effects may be of no clinical significance, for example, a change in
the color of urine or loose bowel movements; or they may be serious, for example,
dizziness, sexual dysfunction, memory problems, or depression. Ask your doctor:
- What are possible side effects I should be aware of?
- What should I do if side effects or unexpected reactions occur?
- When should I call you about side effects?
Cautions and warnings. Know any cautions you or
your loved one should observe while taking the medicine. Ask your doctor:
- What foods, beverages, or other medicines should be avoided while
taking
this medicine?
- Should alcohol be avoided?
- Are there activities that should avoided? For example, should
driving a
vehicle, operating machinery, or exposure to the sun be avoided?
Ask your doctor or pharmacist questions. If you or your loved one don't understand how or
why to take the medicine, a serious mistake could be made. If you're not sure about
directions, ask your pharmacist or doctor rather than guessing. If you have difficulty
hearing or remembering instructions, ask your doctor or pharmacist to write them down.
Many prescription drugs come with printed information. Ask your pharmacist if an
information sheet is available for your medication.
Helping Your Doctor Help You and Your
Loved One
Doctors and patients are partners. The doctor depends on the patient for basic
information. And the doctor's advice is good only if the patient follows it. As soon as
you or your loved one leave the doctor's office, you are in charge of obtaining the
medicines, taking them according to instructions and paying attention to the results. You
and your loved one have a need – and a right – to know how to do this properly.
As a patient or caregiver you wear two hats. First, you are a person seeking help because
either you or a loved one is sick. Your task here is to tell the doctor what he or she
needs to know and submit to examination. Second, as the person who must manage your own
and a loved one's health care plan, you must learn as much as you can about your state of
health and the state of health of the person you are caring for. If you do not get full,
clear instructions, the best medical opinion may be of little help.
Unfortunately, a visit to the doctor may end with the patient or caregiver not really
understanding what to do. What can you do to guarantee that you get good instructions? To
answer this, let's look at what often goes wrong when you visit the doctor, what can be
done about it, and what information you should have when you leave.
What Can Go Wrong?
In the doctor's office, you or your loved one may be
anxious and may feel ill and weak. You are examined and questioned, often by a stranger
asking intimate questions. The doctor may seem too busy or impersonal; his or her tests
may cause pain or embarrassment. Several other people may be waiting to see the doctor.
The office itself may be uncomfortable. Seeing a doctor may be something new to you or
your loved one and you may be uncertain about what to ask, how to ask it, and how the
doctor will respond.
Many of the questions you want to ask might never quite come up. This is understandable.
The relief we feel at having an expert take care of us might make us forget that in the
weeks and months to come, we will be responsible for taking our own medicines. We may not
realize how important it is to know about these medicines so we can avoid any risks.
Does this sound discouraging? You can do something to improve things. Be prepared to
provide your doctor with complete and accurate information. Before your appointment, make
a list of the following:
Symptoms. Describe the symptoms you or your
loved one have experienced – for
example, changes in sleep or bowel habits, headaches, pain or fatigue. Be clear, specific
and concise. This helps the doctor make a proper diagnosis and determine the best
treatment.
Allergies. List any allergies and reactions you
or your loved one has to foods and other substances.
Adverse medication reactions. List all medicines
you or your loved one have had
negative reactions to, describe the specific reaction and when it occurred.
All medicines you or your loved one are taking.
Write down the names of all medicines you or your loved one take, including those bought
without a prescription – such as aspirin, cold remedies, antacids and laxatives-and
those prescribed by other doctors.
Doctors need to know about over-the-counter medicines
because some can significantly impact the effectiveness of prescription medicines. Every
doctor you or your loved one sees needs to know all of the medicines that are being taken.
Without this information, a doctor may prescribe a medicine that is similar to one already
being taken, which could result in a double dose-or a medicine that may interact
dangerously or cancel the effects of another medicine.
Other medicinal preparations. Share information
about substances such as herbs, vitamin or mineral supplements, extracts, and bee pollen
that you or your loved one are taking. Tell your doctor the amount and frequency with
which you or your loved one take such preparations.
Caffeine and alcohol consumption. List the
amount of coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol you or your loved one drink in an average
day.
Smoking habits. Write down the number of
cigarettes, cigars, or pipes you or your loved one smoke daily (or the amount of tobacco
you or your loved one chew).
The Visit to the Doctor's Office
Make a list of questions to ask the doctor. If the
doctor does not have time to answer your questions, ask who in the office can. Answering
your questions is part of the doctor's responsibility.
By the end of the visit, you and your loved one should get instructions from the doctor
for properly taking any medicines prescribed. Before leaving the office, you should know
the answers to these questions for each drug prescribed for you or your loved one:
- What am I or my loved one taking?
- When and how often should the medicine be taken? Under what
circumstances – before, with, after, or between meals? At bedtime? As needed?
- How long should the medicine be taken?
- Will there be any side effects? Should they be reported?
Be sure you understand what the doctor tells you. Tell the doctor if you do not understand
any terms used or instructions given. No question that you have is a dumb question. You
have a right to information about your health and the health of
your loved one and prescription drugs in language you can understand. If you have
difficulty hearing, or if language is a barrier, arrange for someone to go with you or
have the doctor put explanations and instructions in writing.
Keep a medicine chart. (See page 15). Take the chart with you when you visit the doctor.
Ask questions about the medication's purpose, side effects, dosage, description and
special instructions so that you can fill in information about each medicine.
Tell the doctor if you think you or your loved one may have problems taking a medicine. If
you think you or your loved one will not be able to take a medicine as directed, say so
and be specific about the reason it will be difficult.
- Is cost of medicine a problem? Ask if a less expensive and
equally effective generic drug is available.
- Is the schedule for taking the medicine too complicated? If so,
perhaps the doctor
can prescribe an equally effective medicine that can be taken once a day instead of
three times a day.
- Do you feel you should be able to solve your own or your loved
ones health
problems, for example, depression, without taking drugs? If so, explain this so the
doctor can explain the advantages or disadvantages of the medicine.
- Do you think you or your loved one will have difficulty
actually taking the medicine –
swallowing the pills, giving yourself or your loved one an injection (for example,
insulin), putting drops in your own or your loved ones eyes, or inserting a
suppository?
The better the information you share, the more it can help your doctor to prescribe
medicine that will work for you or your loved one and the condition being treated.
Continue to Chapter 2: Working
With Your Pharmacist...
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