You and your medication
REASONS YOU MUST ASK, AND KNOW THE NAMES AND DOSAGES OF WHATEVER “DRUGS” YOU TAKE
- Every drug is a poison, and must be carefully handled.
- Health workers are human, and may mistakenly give you the wrong drug, if you are not aware, who suffers?
- You should be part of your own health decision making; always ask: what is the name of this drug? What does it do? What are its side effects?
- You can only report a particular drug you react to if you know its name and dosage.
- Description by physical features is not enough to differentiate your drugs, because quinine looks like riboflavin and folic acid but their activities vary.
- Drug-induced emergencies require proper identification of such drug before the right antidote is proffered.
- Relapse in chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes etc. requires understanding of your past medication history before a lasting intervention can be made.
- Proper management of “persistent infection” requires the knowledge of all the antibiotics used on such infection, to avert treatment failure due to resistance.
- Do not place your life wholly on the decisions of your doctors and pharmacists, also ask questions about that drug you take.
- It is your right as a patient to KNOW what drug you are given, what dose and what side effects/precautions placed.
- Some drug errors may cause irreversible damages to YOUR BODY, and to avoid death from such drug errors, always ask what drug is it? So you be able to read more about the drug on your own.
The era of YOUR DOCTOR folding something in an envelope and asking you to take it as he instructs is over!
The era YOUR PHARMACIST gives you drugs and only says “take 1 morning and 1 night” is over!
*You need these details:
What drug is in this envelope, please write it on the envelope!
What strength is the drug, please write it there!
What doses and how do I take them, please write it there!
What side effects should I expect, and what activities should I not partake in?
BE PART OF YOUR OWN PRESCRIPTION.
LIVE SAFE!!!
- Please share and save others from medication errors
Courtesy:
Chuka Amukamara (B.Pharm. Pharm.D)
Health Medium International – HMI