Find the Facts
Before you and your team decide on a prescription or OTC medicine, learn and understand as much about it as you can, including:
- brand and generic (chemical) names
- active ingredients - to make sure that you aren’t using more than one medicine with the same active ingredient
- inactive ingredients - if you have any problems with ingredients in medicines, such as colors, flavors, starches, sugars
- uses (”indications” and “contraindications”) - why you will be using it, and when the medicine should/should not be used
- warnings (”precautions”) - safety measures to make sure the medicine is used the right way, and to avoid harm
- possible interactions - substances that should not be used while using the medicine. Find out if other prescription and OTC medicines, food, dietary supplements, or other things (like alcohol and tobacco) could cause problems with the medicine
- side effects (”adverse reactions”) - unwanted effects that the medicine can cause, and what to do if you get them
- possible tolerance, dependence, or addiction - problems that some medicines can cause, and what you can do to avoid them
- overdose - what to do if you use too much
- directions - usual dose; what to do if you miss a dose; special directions on how to use the medicine, such as whether to take it with or without food
- storage instructions - how and where to keep the medicine
- expiration - date after which the medicine may not work, or may be harmful to use
Your pharmacy, the library, the bookstore, the medicine maker, and the Internet have medicine information made for consumers. If you have questions, ask your health care team.
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 30 Aug 2006
