Take Control of Your Healthcare - 5 Pharmacist-Recommended New Year’s Resolutions
I will take prescriptions as directed by my doctor. I will only take prescriptions that are prescribed to me and not out of date.
To avoid overdose and have maximum effectiveness, take your medications as directed by your doctor; or in the case of OTC’s purchased without consulting a doctor, as the box or bottle directs. Expired medication won’t help as well as those used before the dates on their packaging. Using other people’s prescriptions could have an adverse effect on your health, as it was not prescribed based on your specific needs. It could potentially cause a negative reaction when combined with an allergy or pre-existing condition you have, or something else you are taking, eating, drinking.
I will make sure my vaccinations are up to date.
Up-to-date vaccinations protect you and those around you.
I will dispose of my expired or unused medications properly.
Improper disposal of expired and unused medications can lead to them getting into the wrong hands. Med Drop boxes can be found at Jamestown, Reynolds, Sharon, Mercer, and Greenville Pharmacy.
I will not mix my medication with alcohol.
Mixing your medication with alcohol impairs your judgment and decreases your ability to operate machinery – including your vehicle. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also says, “Mixing alcohol with some medications can cause nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, or loss of coordination. It can also put you at risk for internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing.”
I will not discredit a medication just because it goes by the generic name and not a brand name I know.
Generic forms of medications are required to be therapeutically equivalent to their name brand counterparts. This means for example, the generic form of Claritin-D, loratadine-pseudoephedrine, works just as well. In many cases, pharmacists can obtain these generic forms at a lower cost than the name brands, saving you money.