How to Use a Prescription Drug Safely

A seventy year old woman who was on vacation in Atlantic City want to a pharmacist to refill a prescription for Synthroid, a thyroid medication. The table on her prescription specified that she was to take one tablet os synthroid per day, but it did not indicate the strength of the dose. As a result, the pharmacist would not refill the prescription at first. However, after the woman insisted she was taking the “pink-pill,” he gave her a one month supply of the drug.

Less than a month later, the woman was in the hospital. She was suffering from weight loss, loss of appetite, tremors, and rapid heartbeat. The tablet she was supposed to be taking was orange; the “pink pills” the atlantic city pharmacist gave her were ten times the dosage her doctor had prescribed. “I guess I’m just not good with colors,” was the woman’s explanation.

This is a dramatic example of how a prescription drug may be misused. To avoid such consequences, you should know as much as possible about any prescription drug you are taking.

Basic Facts You Should Know
Whenever your doctor prescribes a medication, you need to know:

1. The name(s) of the drug. Many drugs go by several names. For instance, the antibiotic known by the generic name tetracycline is also sold under the brand names Achromycin (made by Lederie) and Sumycin (made by Squibb).
2. The reason you are taking the drug. This is especially important with a “silent” diseases such as high blood pressure, which people often do not realize they have. At first, the medication for this problem may make patients feel worse, and unless they know why they are taking the drug, they may stop using it.
3. How you should take the drug. Drugs can come in pill, liquids, or other forms. They can be swallowed, injected inhaled, or taken via some other route of administration. Should you take the drug before or after meals? If you are to take it orally, should you take it with or without water or other liquids? Many drugs need to be taken with water to dissolve them or dilute their strength. Aspirin may be taken with milk to avoid stomach upset. On the other hand, tetracycline, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, should not be taken with milk or milk products.
4. The strength of the dose the physician has prescribed. The story of the woman on vacation highlights the importance of the information. Overdosing with a prescription drug can lead to serious side effects; underdosing may lead to the continuation of whatever ailment you are being treated for.
5. The frequency of administration that the physician recommends. If you take the correct dosage but take it too often or not often enough, you may suffer an unpleasant reaction or a prolongation of your diseases. Be sure the directions are clear. Instructions to "take three times a day," for instance, do not tell you whether you should take the drug every eight hours around the clock, or at evently spaced intervals over your time awake.
6. The length of time you should continue to take the drug. Generally, you should keep taking it until your supply is used up.
7. Does taking the drug require any change in your diet or activities? A number of drugs are dangerous if you drink alcohol while you are taking them. Certain other drugs may cause drowsinesds or interface with your coordination. If you are taking any of these you should avoid driving, working with dangerous machinery, or other hazardous activities.