Busted! Don’t Believe These Myths About Medication!
Having worked in community pharmacy for over 20 years, I have seen my share of strange ideas and misconceptions that patients bring.
When dealing with medications, it is important to be informed about the safety risks associated with them. Misconceptions about medication use can create barriers to using them effectively and lead to serious health problems. To help you differentiate facts from fiction, I have debunked five of the most widely held myths about medications in the pharmacy.
Myth 1: My doctor knows everything! Whatever medication he prescribed, it should be good for me!
Most patients put great trust in their physicians. They are highly educated and trained to look after your health. However, when it comes to prescribing medications, unintentional mistakes happen. As pharmacists, we see prescribing errors more often than not. Inappropriate medications, missed drug interactions or allergies, expensive drugs when alternative less expensive drugs are available, etc. Most of these errors are unintentional but if not caught on time they could lead to harmful results for the patient.
When a patient fills a prescription at the pharmacy, there is a standard procedure that we follow to ensure the patient gets the right medication. The pharmacist would check for allergies to drugs, other medications you take, the appropriateness of the medication and ensure it is the correct dose for you.
Myth 2: My benefits from work will cover any medication at the pharmacy.
Health benefit plans are tailored to the needs and resources of the company. As a result, there is a wide range of options and coverage. Generally speaking, most benefit plans will pay for drugs that usually require a prescription from a designated prescriber (physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, etc.). Anything that does not legally need a prescription to be purchased would not be paid by insurance companies. For example, even though a dentist gave you a written prescription for Tylenol, it would not be a benefit since it can be purchased over the counter without a prescription.
Myth 3: I usually stop taking my prescribed medications after I feel much better.
Depending on the condition for which a patient is being treated, some medications can be stopped anytime. But some other drugs may have to be taken for a long time. When to stop or how long to continue taking the medication depends on the condition and the particular medication. If in doubt always check with your pharmacist or physician before deciding to stop prematurely. For example, antibiotics must be taken for the prescribed course. If stopped too soon, the infection could come back.
Myth 4: Over the counter products and herbals are always safe to take.
Most medications found on the shelf are usually safe to take on their own. However, if you are taking prescription medications or suffer from other medical conditions, it is always advisable to check with your pharmacist. Some herbals, vitamins, and over the counter drugs can lead to adverse effects if taken in combination with prescription drugs. For example, some medications should not be taken at the same time with multivitamins since the minerals can bind the medication, therefore, lowering its effectiveness.
Myth 5: The flu vaccine gave me the flu.
It is not possible to get the flu from the influenza vaccine. Most influenza vaccines do not contain live viruses therefore they cannot lead to a viral infection. The most likely scenario is that one may have caught the actual flu virus at the time of the injection or you have experienced some severe side effects from the vaccine.
If you’re looking to steer clear of more myths like these, reach out to Remedy’s Rx Duke Pharmacy. We are a local independent pharmacy located in the neighborhood of the Junction in Toronto. We have been serving the pharmacy needs of this growing community for over four years. As a small pharmacy, we can provide a more personalized approach to meet your medication needs better. Our pharmacy offers flu shot services, smoking cessation counseling, medication reviews, cardiovascular coaching, vaccine administration, prescription transfers, personal medication list, home visits, medication disposal, advice about natural health products, medication compliance and adherence programs, and OHIP+.
For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about medications, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.