Health Tips

Pharmacy Tips

|   BDS Health Tips

Do's and Don'ts for taking and storing medication along with best practices.

Read the label, read the label, read the label.  Always read the label on your medicine bottle three times.  On picking it up, on taking out the medicine and when putting it down.  To avoid taking an incorrect dose of medication, always read the label.

 

When you visit a pharmacy, it is important that you know about your medicine.  Ask the pharmacist for the name of the medicine, what it is used for, how much to take and when to take it.

 

What do the directions on your bottle of medicine mean?

·         Twice a day - every 12 hours

      6:00 am & 6:00 pm or 8:00 am  & 8:00 pm;

·         Three times per day - every 8 hours

·         6:00 am., 2:00 pm. & 10:00 pm.

·         Four times per day - every 6 hours.

·         6:00 am, 12 noon, 6:00 pm. and midnight.

Remember to take your medication as prescribed.

 

Ask your pharmacist to go over the instructions if they are unclear or if they differ from what the doctor has told you.  Not understanding instructions can lead to incorrect doses and improper treatment.

Always keep a medication record, especially if you have been taking medication for a long time or if you have a chronic condition for which you will be taking medication for extended periods.

Never switch containers.  Your medicine should always be kept in the original container.

Nothing lasts forever including medication.    Medication gets old too.  Don't use outdated medication.  Take it to your pharmacy to be properly discarded. 

Don't throw medication into the garbage where someone else can find it and use it.  Return all old and unused medication to the pharmacy for safe disposal.

Never take medicine that you have had for a long time, ESPECIALLY if you do not remember what it is used for.  Take it to your pharmacist and ask for his or her advice.

Unused medicines can be dangerous, if they have lost strength and can do nothing for you when you use them.   Return them to your pharmacist to be discarded.

Unused medicines can be dangerous, if you have young children who may accidentally use them.  Return them to your pharmacist to be discarded.

If you are using the pill, each time you miss 1 or more pills, use another method of birth control (condom, diaphragm or spermicidal cream) until 14 consecutive pills have been taken.  This is for your protection.

If you are on the pill and you have been vomiting or have had diarrhea your pill may have been brought back up whole or it may have passed from your system, use another form of birth control until 14 consecutive pills have been taken. This is for your protection.

If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, ask your pharmacist for advice before buying over-the-counter cough or cold medicines.

250’s, 500’s, antibiotics are powerful medicines which can be harmful when abused.  Do not take them unless they have been prescribed for you. 

 

 

 

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