Do you have a lot of prescription medications to juggle? If you’re struggling to stay on top of your prescriptions, you aren’t alone. Quite a few people get rather flustered handling difficult medication schedules and ambiguous instructions which not only unnecessarily complicates their lives but puts them at risk of taking their drugs incorrectly. A lot of these mistakes are preventable - it’s just a matter of learning how to properly handle your prescription drugs.
The following tips will help you master your prescriptions:
Ask your pharmacist for a medication review. Stop by your pharmacist and ask them to help check your medication list to ensure that there aren’t any duplicate medicines or drugs that may interfere with the use of others. This is especially helpful if you have multiple doctors.
Understand what it means to take your medication “on an empty stomach.” If your doctor prescribes medication to be taken on an empty stomach, you should be taking it at least an hour before eating or two to three hours afterward. This is regardless of whether you have a full meal or a couple of pieces of fruit.
Pay attention to dosage. Dosage can be stated in different ways. You may have a drug that needs to be taken twice a day and one that needs to be taken every twelve hours. These instructions mean the same thing. A dosage by times a day can be divided into hours. For instance, three times a day refers to every eight hours, while four times a day means every six hours. Medication works best when you stick to a certain schedule, so try your best to take your drugs at the same time every day.
Simplify. If you’ve got a lot of medication to take, be sure to ask your doctor if your list can be simplified. Let’s say you’ve got a medication that has to be taken four times every day. Perhaps there is an alternative that will simplify your medication routine.
Keep track of your drugs. Whether it’s a prescription drug, an over-the-counter one, or even an iron supplement, keep track of all the drugs you have and are currently taking. You never know when the information may come in handy.
Seek counsel. Consider medication therapy management (MTM) if you need some help juggling the drugs you have to take.
Ask more questions. It’s easy to feel dazed by your medication routine. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or request help - no one should feel overwhelmed about taking care of themselves. The more you know what’s going on, the more relaxed and ready you’ll be feeling.
With the help of these tips, you’ll soon be handling your prescription drugs like a pro!