Discharge Instructions: Taking Medicine Safely

Medicine can help treat or prevent illness. But it may not help if you don't take it correctly. It may even hurt you. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you learn the right way to take your medicine. Here are some tips. They'll help you take your medicine safely.

• Have a routine for taking each medicine. Make it part of something you do each day. Take your medicine after brushing your teeth. Or take it after eating a meal. Know which of your medicines need to be taken with food or on an empty stomach. Know which ones must be taken without other medicines.
• Find help getting organized if you take a few medicines. A pill organizer is one idea. It can arrange all your medicines for the day. Or it can help you get them ready for a week at a time.
• When you have an appointment or need to be hospitalized, bring all your medicines with you. Keep them in their original boxes or bottles. Or bring an up-to-date list of your medicines. Include on the list the dose and how often you take them. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements.
• Don't stop taking a prescription medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Doing so could make your condition worse.
• Don't share medicines.
• Ask your doctor about side effects with any new medicines. And ask when you should report side effects.
• Let your doctor and pharmacist know of any allergies you have.
• Don't take a nonprescription medicine without talking with your doctor first. It can be harmful to take prescription medicines with other substances. These include alcohol, illegal drugs, herbs, and supplements. And it includes some over-the-counter medicines. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before using any of these while taking a prescription medicine.
• Try to use the same pharmacy for all your prescriptions. That may not be possible. If not, let each pharmacist know what medicines you're taking.
• Keep medicines out of the reach of children and pets. Never leave medicine on counters or tabletops or in bathroom cabinets. If you take prescription pain medicines, keep them in a locked cabinet or drawer. These include morphine, other opioids, or codeine.
• Keep medicines in a cool, dry, dark place. Don't put them in the bathroom or in the kitchen. There's too much moisture and heat there.
• Don't use medicine that has expired. And don't use medicine that doesn't look or smell right.
• If a prescription refill looks different from the original (for example, a different color or shape), don't use it until you've checked with the pharmacist. Make sure there has not been a prescribing or dispensing error.
• Learn how to safely dispose of medicines. This means unused or expired ones. Call your pharmacist or local law enforcement agency to learn how to safely get rid of medicines. Your community may have medicine drop-off locations. Some medicines may be safely flushed down the toilet. But some can't be. This is for safety reasons. Each year the FDA sponsors several Drug Take Back days. These are times when medicines can be collected safely. See the FDA's website at www.fda.gov/drugs/safe-disposal-medicines/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know for disposal safety tips.
• Medicine in a single-dose container should be used only one time. If you use the container a second time, it may have germs in it. These can cause illness. These illnesses include hepatitis B and C. They also include brain or spinal cord infections.
• For liquid medicines, always use the dispensing tool that comes with the medicine. This can be a syringe, a medicine cup, or a special spoon. Keep the dispensing tool with the medicine.
• Don't take medicine in the dark. It's easy to make a mistake.
• When you travel, ask your doctor or pharmacist how to adjust for time or day changes. Carry a list of all the prescriptions, OTC medicines, and supplements you take. Take a list of the phone numbers of your doctors and pharmacists. Share with your travel companion a copy of these lists. When flying, carry your medicines with you. For emergencies, always take enough medicine for an extra week.
• Ask the pharmacist where to store a medicine. For example, should it be kept in a refrigerator or kept at room temperature?
• Always check the label before leaving the pharmacy. The label on your medicine should have your name on it and the directions provided by your doctor. If it doesn't, don't take it. Talk with the pharmacist.

Medicines have brand names and generic names. A medicine is sold only under its brand name when it's first made. It can later be made and sold as a generic. Generic medicines cost less than medicines with brand names. And most work just as well. Unless your doctor says otherwise, most people can use the generic medicine. A common mistake is to take a generic and a brand name of the same medicine. Some people do this. They think they're different. This can lead to harmful reactions. This is also a good reason to bring all your prescriptions in their original bottles to your health care visits.