Common Mistakes People Make Taking Medications

Suppose you’re taking a prescription medication. Whether for a chronic medical condition like high blood pressure or an antibiotic for an acute tooth infection, there are few things you should be aware of in order to get the best out of your medications. Medications work only if you take them properly for the right condition, at the right dose and with minimal side effects. Here are five common mistakes that people overlook that could have a big impact on how their medications work.

1. Multiple pharmacies
Most often, because of convenience, time constraints or cost, people go to different pharmacies. Unfortunately, in this day and age, not all pharmacy computers are connected. Having medications records spread in different places makes it difficult to catch any drug interactions and increases therapy duplication leading to adverse effects and less than optimal outcomes. Having one pharmacy and one pharmacist looking after you can provide continuity of care. By having all the information in one place, the pharmacist can easily catch any drug interactions, recommend the most appropriate drug therapy and follow up on any problems you may encounter.

2. Failing to disclose information
Patients often omit to tell their pharmacists about other medical conditions or medications. Maybe they feel embarrassed or want to keep their privacy. Unfortunately, these omissions could have serious consequences. For example, you just filled a prescription for a pain killer from your dentist after a tooth extraction at a pharmacy next door. Unfortunately, you did not mention about the antidepressant prescribed by a psychiatrist or that harmless herbal tea you have been using for years for sleep. The combination of the antidepressant, herbal tea and the pain killer would have potentially led you to experience severe chest palpitations to the point of going to the emergency room. Finding a pharmacist who you can trust and knows your history would certainly help avoid these kind of events.

3. Making your own rules
For many patients it is very easy to deviate from the prescribed drug regimen. Sometimes, after few days on the medication you feel much better and don’t feel the need to continue. Other times, you develop a side effect and decide to stop it. However, before you make any decisions about discontinuing your medications, it is important to consult your physician or pharmacist to ensure it is safe to do so. For example, a patient was given a ten-day course of antibiotics for strep throat. After a couple of days, he felt much better and stopped them. Seven days later, the patient ended up at the emergency department being treated for heart failure. The patient didn’t know that even though the symptoms were gone, the bacteria causing the infection was still in his body and it can travel to other areas such as the heart, causing an infection and weakening it to the point it can’t do its job. A ten-day course would have eliminated the bacteria without causing any further damage.

4. Complacency
In these days of instant gratifications, most people think of medications as a silver bullet. There is an assumption that medications will cure it all. However, most medical conditions still require non-drug treatments which are as important as medications. For example, diabetic patients could greatly reduce their pill burden and improve their sugar levels if they make changes to their lifestyle such as a proper diet and more physical activity. Unfortunately, people rely too much on simple solutions like medicines, and yet simple lifestyle changes can at times have the greatest effect on their health and are the easiest to implement.

5. Making assumptions
Most patients don’t bother asking about their medications even if they experience side effects, and continue taking them. “If the doctor prescribed it and the pharmacist dispensed it to me then it must be the right medication.” But not all medications work the same on everybody. Some will tolerate it well, others will experience adverse effects and for some it may not work at all. It is essential to engage in your own health and bring up any issues if you don’t feel well while on your medications. Pharmacists are trained professionals and have the expert knowledge to guide you and help you solve medication problems. When you get a new medication, a great pharmacist will always discuss any common side effects, what to expect from the medication, how it works, and any possible interactions. They will even follow up to make sure you are doing well on it.

To avoid these and other mistakes when taking medication, reach out to the experts at Remedy’s Rx Duke Pharmacy. We are a local, and a small community pharmacy in Toronto, serving pharmacy needs to clients since 2017. We are committed to providing customers with a safe, fast, and efficient service. Our pharmacy services include compliance packages, med reminder, med reviews and consultations, cardiovascular coaching, free naloxone kit and training, healthy bones program, free diabetic management and training, tobacco use cessation, flu shots, vaccine administration, blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose monitoring training, medication adherence packaging, free prescription delivery, medication synchronization, home visits, advice about natural health products, and medication disposal.

For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about the pharmacy industry, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.