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By Jill Ross, HealthAtoZ contributing writer
Drug companies advertise heavily these days and urge you to "talk to your doctor" about their drugs, but there's another important health care professional you should also be talking to - your pharmacist.
Pharmacists do more than count pills, pour liquids, and decipher your doctor's handwriting. They are specialists in the science and clinical use of medications. They understand the chemical and physical properties of drugs and their uses. They also know how a drug will work within the body.
Pharmacists have become very busy people these days. Since the Food and Drug Administration began allowing direct prescription advertising to consumers, doctors have been writing more prescriptions. They've been recommending more over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin as well. In 1985 doctors prescribed 109 medications per 100 patient visits. By 1999 that number rose to 146 per 100 visits - a 34 percent increase in medicines ordered, according to a study published in the health policy journal Health Affairs.
The more medications you're taking, the more important it is to talk to your pharmacist.
Your pharmacist can ensure that:
- The information from the prescribing doctor is complete
- A new medication won't interact with other medications you are taking
- The medication and dosage are appropriate for you
- You understand the proper way to store and take the medication.
Here are seven tips to get the most out of your trip to the pharmacy:
Use the same pharmacy for all your prescriptions, especially if you are seeing multiple health care providers. Using the same pharmacy ensures that your pharmacist will have access to your medication history when checking for problems or possible interactions.
Check with your pharmacist before taking nonprescription medicines. Nonprescription medicines can be very powerful and, if taken improperly, can interact badly with your prescription medications or badly affect another health condition.
Share your list of all medications with your pharmacist and your doctor. Be sure to include over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies. Just because medications are available without a prescription doesn't mean you can't get serious side effects or interactions.
Tell your doctor about any allergies you have to medications. This will avoid your being prescribed medications that will give you an adverse reaction. Double-check with your pharmacist.
Learn as much as you can about your medicines. Make sure you know what your medication is supposed to do. Is it to eliminate the illness or to help cope with the symptoms? What are the possible side effects? Do you have to take it even if you start feeling better? These are basic questions your pharmacist can answer.
Read the label. If you're not sure you've been given what the doctor prescribed, or if the amount of medication or the dosage isn't what you thought it would be, ask the pharmacist. Also take note of any warnings on the labels, such as which drugs should be taken before and which after eating, or whether it's safe to drive.
Listen carefully to the pharmacist's advice. You may be under stress because of an illness or because you're rushed, but do focus on what the pharmacist is saying. It's always a good idea to write down what a health care provider tells you. Repeat the instructions so you and your pharmacist know you understand. For instance, "Once a day, at bedtime" or "In the morning, with food."
Working together with your pharmacist and your doctor can help ensure that you get the most appropriate drugs (prescription and non-prescription) and the most out of those medications for your health.
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External Sources
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Burt, CW. National trends in use of medications in office-based practice, 1985-1999. Health Affairs. 2002 21(4):206-214.
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The American Pharmacists Association
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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