Know before you go!

Information which you need to obtain from your pharmacist: -

·         What is the name of my medication?

·         What is this medication used for?

·         How do I take it?

·         Is it likely to interact with other medicines that I am taking?

·         Are there side effects that I should look for?

·         Are there special instructions to follow when taking this medication? (e.g.  take with meals, do not use alcohol, may cause drowsiness)

·         Are there special storing conditions? (e.g. keep in the refrigerator)

·         When does this medication expire?

When visiting the doctor you tend not to know how to describe your symptoms, here are some hints which you should observe:

·         ONSET               when did the symptoms start

·         DURATION         how long have you had the symptoms?

                                    do they come & go?

·         SEVERITY          how bad are the symptoms?

·         DESCRIPTION   describe the symptoms

                                                Acute or Chronic

                                                Associated symptoms

                                                Exacerbating factors

                                                Relieving factors

·         PREVIOUS TREATMENT

Other related information which your doctor will need

·         AGE

·         SEX, if female whether pregnant or lactating

·         OTHER ILLNESSES

·         MEDICATION TAKING

·         ALLERGIES

When to seek medical attention:

·         A fever of over 100 F in children

·         A fever of more than 3 days duration

·         Symptoms do not respond to self medication after 3 days

·         Vomiting and diarrhea with increased temperature.