15/06/2018
Know Your Pills
Have you ever been given a bottle of medication in the hospital and the name of the drug has been covered by a plaster or hospital label?
Have you ever been given drugs in the plastic hospital envelopes and the only thing written on it is the dosage?
I'm sure quite a large number of people in this part of the world can relate with this.
It saddens my heart when on several occasions, patients cannot ascertain the names of drugs previously given in another hospital or by another doctor in the same hospital as a result of lack of information about their medications.
Doctors need to bear in mind that gone are the days when you ask patients to describe the shape of the drugs and it fits perfectly to the names you are familiar with. We need to value the lives we're treating and get them informed.
Here are two important reasons you should know the names of your drugs:
1. To prevent adverse drug reaction. Prolonged use of some medications can cause adverse reactions such as rash or fatal outcomes.
2. Drug interactions: the activity of one drug can be affected by the other if taken together. This interaction can increase or decrease the effectiveness of the drugs and can also lead to adverse effects.
So the next time you visit the hospital ..Ensure the names of your drugs are clearly written....Write it in your diary if need be......Ask about the side effects of your drugs and what you need to do at the onset....Ensure you tell your doctor ALL the drugs you have taken.
