Out of the many ways you can stay on top of your health, taking medicine is one of the most common among people. This refers to the medications prescribed by primary health care providers to help individuals treat or manage various medical conditions.
However, for many, the biggest challenge is figuring out how to safely take prescriptions. This is important to know because it is the best way to manage the health issue you are suffering from while lowering the chances of the occurrence of any side effects that may come along with the drugs.
In most cases, it is the doctors or pharmacists who usually give guidelines to their patients how to take medications properly. Besides following these instructions, people should also take other precautionary measures to minimize prescription risks and get the treatment they need.
Keep reading to find out about the five safety tips for proper medication administration.
Purchase medication from verified online pharmacies
With the advancements in healthcare and technology, people now have the option of purchasing their medications online. In fact, there are many online platforms such asOption RX where you can look for your prescriptions in various pharmacies nearby and buy them at the lowest discount price.
However, when shopping for medications online, you should make sure you are purchasing from a verified online pharmacy. One way to ensure this is to check whether the website requires you to submit a valid prescription from your doctor or another licensed healthcare professional.
Take medicine as prescribed
Taking medicine as prescribed is another safety tip you should practice. This includes taking your prescriptions in the correct dose, at the right time and in the right way. It is usually the doctors and pharmacists who give instructions to patients on how they should administer the drugs, so it is crucial that you follow their guidelines.
In case you forget to take your medicine on time, your doctor may tell you to take your prescription as soon as you realize you missed a dose. If it’s been more than two hours, you may need to skip the missed dose and pick up with the next one.
Store prescriptions properly
One of the biggest mistakes people often make with medicine is that they don’t store it properly. This can make the medication not as effective and may further cause harm, even if they are not expired.
Depending on the type of medicine you take, you may need to store them in the refrigerator or in dry and dark places such as a dress drawer, storage box or kitchen cabinet, away from direct sunlight and high-temperature exposure.
Also, remember to keep all medicine away from children because they may think it is candy and increase the risk of accidental poisoning.
Be aware of potential medication interactions
Another safety tip you should practice when taking medications is to be aware of any potential interactions with other drugs. Doing so intentionally or accidentally may have dangerous side effects such as dizziness, sleepiness or memory difficulties.
Besides that, the interaction of different medications may even reduce their effectiveness and lead to other unexpected results. Therefore, if you need to take more than one drug at the same time, make sure you talk to your doctor first to get approval.
It is also strongly forbidden that you mix alcohol with your prescriptions as that can cause additional health problems such as loss of coordination.
Check expiration dates
Taking medications after their expiry date is not safe. After a longer period of time, drugs begin to lose their quality and potency which makes them less effective to treat or manage a certain health condition. That’s why checking the date on the label before taking the prescription is crucial to avoid further health issues.
If the date has expired, make sure you safely dispose of the medications. You can do this either by flushing it down the toilet or by pouring the medicine into a sealable plastic bag and dissolving it in water.
Final thoughts
Proper medication administration is very important to prevent putting your health at risk. Drugs have active ingredients in them that may lose their potency over time and cause serious damages to your overall well-being. That’s why it is essential that you take precautionary measures when taking medications in order to minimize the side effects and get the treatment you need.
If you don’t know how to do this, refer back to our post and follow the instructions here to practice safety when taking prescriptions.