Ask Questions About Your Medications *ONLINE ONLY*
September 2023
By Gary Calligas
Recently, I was at a local pharmacy picking up a prescription when I noticed an elderly lady ahead of me in line who had just picked up her medications. She sat down, opened the bag and was reading the labels on the medications, but looked puzzled. I asked her if there was anything I could do to help. She told me that she had just been to her physician who had prescribed two new medications for her. She had not felt well for several weeks but was unsure of her diagnosis and about these new prescriptions. As the pharmacy was busy that morning, she commented that she did not want to bother the pharmacist with her questions. I explained that she needed to discuss any questions or concerns about her medications with the pharmacist or her physician.
A health literacy expert, Terry C. Davis, PhD, from LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport remarked at a medical conference “Medication error is the most common medical mistake. In looking at patients (in a study conducted by Davis and others), we found it common for them to make mistakes when dosing for themselves, their elderly patients, or their children”.
Davis recommended that physicians provide specific instructions to patients about how to take their medicines. Davis remarked “telling a patient to take their medication at 8 am and another at 8 pm each day is better than telling a patient to take one pill every 12 hours, which is confusing to a lot of patients”. “The study shows that patients of all ages would benefit from additional efforts to improve the clarity and comprehensibility of labeling on prescription drugs”, said Davis. “With Americans taking more prescription medications annually, the incidence of patient medication errors is likely to rise.”
The following is a list of questions that a patient should consider asking their physician or pharmacist about any new prescription:
1. What is the name of my medication?
2. Why has this medication been prescribed for me and what is it supposed to do?
3. Are there any the specific instructions - how much, how often, preferred time of day to take this drug, with a meal or on an empty stomach?
4. How long should I take my medication?
5. Are there any refills on this prescription?
6. Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
7. What are the chances that I will have an allergic reaction?
8. Are there any restrictions on food, drink, dietary supplements, or activities while I am taking this medication?
9. Is this prescription safe to take with my other medications?
10. What should I do if I miss a dose?
11. How soon should I feel the effects of my medication? What should I do if it does not seem to be working?
12. What side effects are possible and what should I do if they happen?
13. Will any medical tests be necessary to monitor the effects of the drug?
14. How should this medication be stored?
15. Is there a generic version of this medication?
Asking questions about medications is vital to prevent medication errors which could cause potential health problems, including allergic reactions, lifelong disability, and even death.