Managing Your Medications…Suggestions for Safe and Effective Use of Medications

By: Red Hot Mamas

Published: November 15, 2024

Written by Karen Giblin- Red Hot Mamas North America, Inc.  www.redhotmamas.org

• When consulting a clinician, have at hand a list of all the medicines (including prescription, over-the-counter supplements and herbal products) and their dosages for their review.
• Make sure your clinician is aware of all your medical conditions.
• When you are prescribed a new medication (or over-the-counter product), it is important for you to understand the reason that you are taking the medication/product and what benefits you should expect from taking it.
• Discuss with your clinician possible contraindications of the medication/product.
• Make sure that you understand the possible side effects for each medication/product.
• It is important that you are compliant with each prescribed medication regimen. Give your clinician an accurate accounting if you are taking it as prescribed; if you forget to take the medication; or if you only take it when you feel you need it.
• Discuss with your clinician how long it will take before you get the therapeutic effects and how long you will need to remain on each medication/product.
• If possible, get all medications from one pharmacy.
• If you feel the instructions for taking the medication/product are too difficult for you, ask your clinician to simplify the way in which it can be taken.
• If necessary, take notes of your conversations with your clinician to help you remember all the necessary details in managing your medications/products.
• At a follow-up visit, be sure to let your clinician know whether this medication/ product is making you feel better or not and tell your clinician if you might be experiencing any side effects.
• A common problem with electronic health records is that the list of medications/products is not systematically verified, and old medications/products remain listed although you have stopped taking these medications/products. Remind your clinician/nurse to verify this list of medications/products regularly.