When some folks discuss drug information, what most frequently springs to mind? For many it pertains to illegal drugs, yet to other people it implies information concerning over the counter prescriptions or a prescription medicine received from a physician. In reality, it means every one of those, since it is important that you realize what you are taking and how it ought to be taken. The ideal method to do this is to study the label along with any other information that is prepacked with or attached to the prescription, or talk with your physician or chemist.
When doctors write a drug prescription, they utilize abbreviations that inform the pharmacist what medicine is for you along with directives stating how you are to use the medication. If you are able to understand that kind of shorthand, then you will already have an idea what it is to be used for and you will be able to ask questions, if you have any, about those directions. It is always a good idea to check with both your doctor and your chemist in order to be clear on your prescription, because a lot of times there may well be a drug interaction that one or the other was not aware of. Inquiring reduces the risk of harmful experiences for you.
Bear in mind that the more information you have concerning your prescription medication, any medical errors have less of a chance of befalling you. These mistakes might be anything from the preventable chance of a drug interaction or painful drug side effects. As an example, a chemist may make a mistake when reading your doctor's handwriting. If you know the drug information, then you can catch the mistake before you take the medication or perhaps, even before leaving the pharmacy.
A lot of doctor's offices now issue prescriptions electronically, meaning you should get a printed drug prescription to take with you to the chemist's shop or your prescription might be emailed or faxed to the pharmacist. Make certain to ask for a duplicate of it as well before departing the doctor’s office. Furthermore, if you are the slightest bit puzzled by the prescription, then ask for your doctor’s assistance or talk to a nurse or receptionist in the office.
There are over fourteen hundred frequently used drug products and several have names that are very similar to each other. It can become quite confusing keeping the drug list straight. This is an additional reason for you to be sure to have all of your prescription drug information, since these name confusions have the potential for significant harm. As many as three hundred thousand prescription mistakes are made every year in the United States as a result of similar sounding drug names.