- Types of medications include:
o Prescription medications such as blood pressure medications, antibiotics, or birth control pills
o Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs are medications you can buy without a prescription, including aspirin, acetaminophen, antacids, laxatives, cough medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies
- When used correctly, medications can lead to:
o Better health
o Improved quality of life
o Longer life
- Medications can make us better and prevent illnesses. Medications also have risks. It’s important to weigh the benefits and risks for each medication.
Tips for avoiding problems with medications:
- Learn about your health conditions and medications. Talk with your healthcare providers, including your pharmacist.
- Make a medication list that includes:
o Names of all medications you use, including any TOCs, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies
o Who prescribed each medication
o What each medication is used for
o How often and at what dose you take each
o Whether refills are needed
- Be sure to update your list when a new medication is prescribed or if a dosage is changed.
- Make copies of your list:
o Keep a copy available for your use at all times.
o Take a copy with you to each and every healthcare appointment.
o Give a copy of it to your family and your health emergency contacts.
- Be sure to review all of your medications with your primary physician at least once a year.
Each year, Talk About Prescriptions Month can serve as a timely reminder of the benefits and potential pitfalls of medications. It’s a good time to review the medications you use, how you use them, and any problems or questions you may have.
To help us all manage our medications and work a bit better with our doctors, I’ve put together a free Medications Management Workbook that you can download. In this workbook, you’ll find pages for:
- Personal information such as name, address, emergency contacts, and insurance information.
- A personal health symptoms history checklist.
- A record of what medications you’re currently taking.
- A record of medications you’ve tried in the past and whether they worked.
