Common Medication Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Atheer Kaddis
| 3 min read
Atheer Kaddis is the vice president of Pharmacy serv...
Key Takeaways
- Taking medications exactly as prescribed helps maximize effectiveness, reduce side effects and lower the risk of serious health complications.
- Prescription drugs can interact with foods, supplements and other medications, making it essential to understand potential drug interactions.
- Checking medication expiration dates helps ensure prescriptions remain effective, safe to use and free from contamination risks.
- Proper medication storage protects drug potency, prevents accidental exposure and keeps prescriptions out of reach of children and pets.
Roughly 65% of adults in the United States take some form of prescription medication, and nearly 25% take more than one. Prescription drugs help people manage chronic conditions, increase function, relieve pain and stay healthy.
But to work safely and as intended, medications must be stored and handled properly and taken as prescribed.
One report found that about 75% of people in the U.S. have trouble taking their prescriptions as directed, and improper adherence to prescription directions is associated with 125,000 deaths per year. To ensure prescription drugs work safely and as intended, keep the following things in mind.
Why it’s important to take medication as directed
For medicine to work correctly, it’s very important to take the medication as directed. This includes taking the prescribed dosage at the prescribed time and frequency.
Doctors prescribe medications at specific dosage amounts that are appropriate for each person’s age, weight and condition. Taking more or less than the prescribed amount runs the risk of the medication not working as it should and can also cause harm.
Healthcare providers also prescribe medication for specific times of day and in certain frequencies to make them work effectively. Skipping medications, or doubling up after missing a dose can also be harmful and make the medication less effective.
Additionally, avoid sharing medications with others since medication prescribed specifically for one person could potentially be dangerous to someone else.
Be aware of certain food and medication combinations
Prescription medications can negatively interact with other prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements, beverages and foods. That’s why healthcare providers need to know about all medications and supplements their patients are taking.
Before starting a new prescription, ask a doctor or pharmacist about potential drug interactions. Patients can also check the information leaflet that comes with the prescription or search the dedicated website for the specific prescribed drug to learn about potential interactions. For example, grapefruit juice can negatively interfere with cholesterol medication. Citric acid – which is an additive in many foods and beverages – can make some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications less effective. Caffeine can also negatively affect many common prescriptions.
Take time to understand drug interactions before taking any medications.
Pay attention to medication expiration dates
Expiration dates on prescription drugs can signify two things – when the drug is no longer guaranteed to be fully effective, or when the drug is no longer safe to consume.
The ingredients in medications break down over time, which means they lose their strength or the formulation changes. In some cases, these changes can cause dangerous side effects when the medication is consumed.
In addition, over time some medications like creams and eye drops can become susceptible to mold or bacteria, because preservatives are no longer effective.
Be smart about medication storage
Properly storing prescriptions helps to keep them fresh and prevent them from spoiling or breaking down chemically. Most prescription drugs should be kept away from light, heat and humidity. Store them in a cool, dry place away from kitchen appliances and bathrooms.
Keep medications in their original packaging and containers, so that they can be easily identified. This also helps prevent people from mistaking the drug for something else.
It’s also important to keep prescription medication, especially controlled substances, safely stored so they cannot be accessed by others, particularly children and pets. Keep them out of children’s reach, and use a lockbox or a drawer with a childproof latch.
Following medication directions, being aware of interactions and properly storing medication are all critical to maintaining the safety and efficacy of prescription drugs. Questions about prescriptions can be directed to the prescribing provider, or a pharmacist.
Atheer Kaddis is the chief pharmacy officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. For more health tips and information visit bcbsm.mibluedaily.com.
