The use of medication

At one of our monthly meetings we had the privilege of having the Pharmacist from Fynbos Pharmacy address us on the use of medication.

It is very important to follow the instructions given to a patient when taking medication.The medication must be taken with water.
If you miss one of the medication times, it is better to take the medication at the next time it is due, otherwise you may be taking in too much medication in a short space of time.
Some pills may not be broken or made smaller, especially those which are shiny.
Do not take your tablets in the dark, as it is easy to take the incorrect medication.
This may sound very strange.Make sure that you know how to use an asthma pump. There has been an instance where the pump was used in the same as perfume is used.
One may not take a friend or family members medication. It is very important to check all expiry dates on the medication.Expired medication could be harmful.
Rather take your medication with water.The effect of the medication can be neutralized if one takes medication with milk or any other liquid.
There are 4 important aspects that need to be noted when taking medication.

Are you taking medication that has been prescribed to you?

Are you taking the medication as prescribed, eg. morning or evening

Are taking the correct quantity as prescribed?

Are you using the medication correctly, Orally, for your eyes or your nose

SUPPLEMENTS

Taking supplements is normally safe, however there are instances where the supplements together with prescribed medication can affect your kidneys and/or liver.
There is not enough regulations around using supplements.
There is not always sufficient research performed on the side effects.
Supplements normally take longer to work than pharmaceutical medications.Supplements must be treated as a supplement to the pharmaceutical medications.
Taking supplements may have an effect with the prescribed medication.An example is taking Omega 3 and Vitamin E with Warfarin can increase the effect of Warfarin – cause bleeding.
Lastly, do not dispose of expired medication in the refuse bin.These can be used by children. One should also not flush them in the toilet. Take this medication to the Pharmacy, they have agreements with vendors who will destroy them correctly.