Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist

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Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist

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Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist

What to Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist

First of all, Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist for help with prescription medications. Here is a short list of the most important questions.

  • First, What is the name of the medicine and what is it supposed to do? Is there a less expensive alternative?
  • Second, How and when do I take the medicine and for how long?
  • Third, should it be taken with water, food, or with a special medicine. As well as, at the same time as other meds?
  • Fourth, What do I do if I miss or forget a dose?personal  pharmacist
  • Finally, taken before, during, or after meals?
  • To Conclude, What is the proper dose? For example, does “four times a day” mean you have to take it in the middle of the night?
  • What does your doctor mean by “as needed”?
  • Are there any other special instructions to follow?
  • What foods, drinks, other medicines, dietary supplements, or activities should I avoid while taking this medicine?
  • Will any tests or monitoring be required while taking this medicine? Do I need to report back to the doctor?
  • What are the possible side effects and what do I do if they occur?
  • When should I expect the medicine to start working, and how will I know if it is working?
  • Will this new prescription work safely with the other prescription and OTC medicines or dietary supplements I am taking?Pharmacists will fill a pill reminder alarm

More questions to Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist

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medicine
  • Do you have a patient profile form for me to fill out? Does it include space for my OTC drugs and any dietary supplements?
  • Is there written information about my medicine? Ask the pharmacist to review the most important information with you. (Ask if it’s available in large print or in a language other than English if you need it.)
  • What is the most important thing I should know about this medicine? Ask the pharmacist any questions that may not have been answered by your doctor.
  • Can I get a refill? If so, when?
  • How and where should I store this medicine?
  • Do you have a patient profile form for me to fill out? Does it include space for my OTC drugs and any dietary supplements?
  • Is there written information about my medicine? Ask the pharmacist to review the most important information with you. (Ask if it’s available in large print or in a language other than English if you need it.)
  • What is the most important thing I should know about this medicine? Ask the pharmacist any questions that may not have been answered by your doctor.
  • Can I get a refill? If so, when?
  • How and where should I store this medicine?
Ask Your Doctor
What to Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist

If you decide to buy medicines on the Internet, check the Web site for the Verified Internet

Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program seal of approval to make sure the site is properly licensed. In addition, been successfully reviewed and inspected. The inspecting agency is the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy

Cutting Medicine Costs

Medicines are an important part of treating an illness because they often allow people to remain active and independent. But medicine can be expensive. Here are some ideas to help lower costs:

  • Tell the doctor if you are worried about the cost of medicine. The doctor may not know how much your prescription costs, but may be able to tell you about another less expensive medicine, such as a generic drug or OTC product.
  • Ask for a senior citizen’s discount.
  • Shop around.Look at prices at different stores or pharmacies. Lower medicine prices may not be a bargain if you need other services, such as home delivery, patient medicine profiles, or pharmacist consultation, or if you cannot get a senior citizen discount.
  • Ask for medicine samples.If your doctor gives you a prescription for a new medicine, ask your doctor for samples you can try before filling the prescription.
  • Buy bulk.If you need to take medicine for a long period of time and your medicine does not expire quickly, you may be able to buy a larger amount of the medicine for less money.
  • Try mail order.Mail-order pharmacies can provide medications at lower prices. However, it is a good idea to talk with your doctor before using such a service. Make sure to find a backup pharmacy in case there is a problem with the mail service.
  • Buy OTC medicines when they are on sale.Check the expiration dates and use them before they expire. If you need help choosing an OTC medicine, ask the pharmacist for help.

See Also

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If you can’t remember whether you took your medication, what do you do?

What happens if you don’t remember if you took your medications?  When one is not sure if you took a pill, never, ever just take another dose yet. What could happen if you double dose?  If someone ingests an additional dose, the consequences can be deadly. In fact, an extra dose can raise the risk of harmful effects. Check your pill organizer, count the remaining pills in the bottle, or review the instructions that came with your prescription to find specific guidance. 

doctorHealth care profsionals are in agreement, “For most medications, it is safer to accidentally miss a single dose than to double dose” . Keep in mind that the pill/dosing guidelines vary drastically depending on the medication.  For example, it is different for  blood thinners or something like birth control.), it is always best to double-check with a professional.  If in doubt, call the local pharmacy you got the prescription filled.  Also, call e the America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 .  This can help if you are concerned about over dosing. 

For further guidance, consult I can’t remember whether I took my medication, what do I do? on Medical News Today. To help prevent confusion in the future, you can implement some 9 Simple Strategies for Remembering To Take Your Medication or read the Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Medication guide on WebMD.
 
If you are missing doses consistently, a few strategies can help get your routine back on track:
  • Use a weekly pillbox: These old fashion pill holders can be useful.   They show a quick visual cue to show which days  doses have been taken.
  • Use a Digital Pill Reminder: Medication reminders, like the Med-Q pill Box. have flashing guides.  These alarmed reminders help preventing over dosing. 
  • Try to do Habit stacking: Match up your daily pill-taking with a non-negotiable daily habit.  For example, your first cup of coffee or brushing yourhair.
  • Set electronic reminders: Use persistent reminder apps, alarm clocks, or simple smart phone alarm reminders.

What to do if Unsure?

The worry about over doing is real.  When unsure whether the dose has been taken, the best thing to do is speak with your health care provider or even your pharmacist. They will  advise you on the best course of action based on ythe specific medication. that is over dosed.

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If you take oral tablets or capsules, you can count how many pills you have left. If you know when you started taking the pills out of that prescription bottle, this could help you determine whether you’ve taken your dose for that day.

Sometimes, when you haven’t taken your medication, there may still be time to take that dose. However, this could depend on the drug and dosing schedule.

Although in some cases, if it’s almost time to take your next dose, your doctor may recommend skipping the missed dose and taking your next dose at its regular time. Never take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose as doing so could raise your risk of side effects.

What happens if you accidentally take your medication twice?

Do not take more of a drug than your doctor prescribes. While serious side effects may be rare, for some medications, taking more than the recommended amount may lead to harmful effects or overdose. Some of the most dangerous medications to double-dose include:

  • heart maintenece medications
  • ADHD drugs, for example “Adderall”
  • medications for Type 1 Diabetes
  • prescription narcotic pain pills
  • psychiatric medications , for example “Wellbutrin.”

If you have any doubt, act quickly. 

Fist of all, contact your doctor right away.  Let them know you may have accidentally taken two doses or three doses of your daily medication. They will offer up advice.  The Healthcare profesional can often advise of what steps to take.  Also, they will let you know about symptoms to watch out for.

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