Every day, U.S. consumers are bombarded with information about prescription information that we receive from doctors, pharmacists, magazines, newspapers, websites, radio and TV. It is no wonder many of us are confused about prescription medications – especially the warning labels.

However, understanding your prescription is critical to treating the condition for which it was prescribed. If you have trouble reading and understanding health information you might “misunderstand" how you take your medicines. Sometimes these medicine misunderstandings can lead to serious problems that can result in:

• More trips to the doctor or hospital
• Longer hospital stays
• Higher health care costs
• More prescriptions

Talking With Your Doctor

• Make sure your doctor knows all of the medicines you take, and have taken in the past. If your doctor prescribes a new medicine, ask if it is safe to use with your other medicines. Remind your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any medicines.
• Tell your doctor what over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements that you use. Some supplements are known to react with certain drugs.
• Ask your doctor the name of the medication being prescribed. What is the drug used for, and how it is supposed to work? Also, ask if there will be any side effects, and if the drug should be taken with food.
• Feel free to ask your doctor for available written information about the specific drug to be prescribed.

Talking With Your Pharmacist

• Ask questions about your medicines. Make sure you understand the answers. Choose a pharmacist and doctor you feel comfortable talking with about your health and medicines. Take a relative or friend with you to ask questions and remind you about the answers later. Write down the answers.
• Make sure you received the right prescription. If the medicine seems different than what your doctor wrote on the prescription, or if it is a different shape, color, or size than what you were given before, ask the pharmacist to double-check it. Most errors are first found by patients. - More On Improperly Filled Prescriptions
• Ask how to use the medicine correctly. Read the directions on the label and other information you get with your medicine. Have the pharmacist or doctor explain anything you do not understand.
• Ask about possible side effects. Some side effects may bother you but will get better after you have been using the medicine for a while. Call your doctor right away.
• Some pills or tablets are large and may be difficult to swallow. Check with the pharmacist before crushing or splitting. Some drugs can only be taken swallowed whole.

Useful Links

• Institute for Safe Medication Practices
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Consumer Health Information Corporation
• Consumers Union
• SafeMedication.com