FEBRUARY 18, 2019
WHERE DO YOU BUY MEDICINES?
Do you buy medicines from the supermarket without Pharmacist advice?
Do you buy vitamins or supplements from the supermarket or health food store?
If you take prescription medicines or have medical conditions you need to be very careful about what medicines you take.
As part of my role as a Pharmacist I do home medication reviews and I am amazed at the number of people who take several prescription medicines yet buy medicines from the supermarket and take these without checking first if it is ok. I have removed many supermarket purchased medicines because they are dangerous for the person to be taking.
Anti-inflammatories, such as Nurofen and aspirin, are a common problem. A lot of people just should not take anti-inflammatories or should only take them for a few days if they have stomach or kidney problems or if they take certain blood pressure medicines.
Another common problem is people taking paracetamol they have purchased from the supermarket in addition to stronger paracetamol containing products that have been prescribed.
PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR PHARMACIST OR DOCTOR IF IT IS OK FOR YOU TO BE TAKING MEDICINES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PRESCRIBED.
HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR MEDICINES?
Do you read the instructions and warnings on the box?
Do you buy them because of what they say on the box?
Countless times I have heard people say that they have taken more than two paracetamol tablets to help with pain as they thought if two is the recommended dose then more than two must work better! More than two tablets of paracetamol will not work better for pain relief but will make things very difficult for your liver to process and can cause liver damage.
Several times I have recommended a medication and the customer has questioned whether or not it is suitable because their symptom is not listed on the box. This happens with antihistamines in particular. Just because insect bites is not listed on the box for some brands does not mean it can not be used for that!
PART OF MY ROLE AS A PHARMACIST IS TO HELP YOU WITH THESE CHOICES AND DECISIONS.
More importantly those of you who follow me have access at your fingertips to questions or queries you may have about medicines to help make your life healthier.
