After a doctor’s visit, your physician may prescribe you some medicine that will treat your current health problem. You should not have to worry that your prescription will cause you any issues. However, if you ended up with the wrong medicine, you could experience health complications. Some people even die as a result of a medication error.
The Mayo Clinic explains some questions you may ask your doctor to minimize the chances of medication errors and help ensure that you have the right medicine. You may also learn how to correctly take your prescription medication.
Ask about medication results
The main reason to take medicine is to relieve or eliminate symptoms, so a good question to ask is what the medication will do for you as far as treating your condition. You should also know how long it will take before you experience results so you know whether the medicine is working for you as it should.
Ask about side effects
If you suddenly feel dizzy or nauseous after taking medicine, it might be a natural side effect of the drug, but you should know for sure just in case. Asking your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects may let you know what to expect and what to do if you experience potentially dangerous health problems.
Ask about dosage
The dosage of the medicine you take is also important. You should know how much of the medicine to take per day and for how many days you should take it. Exceeding the recommended dose may cause health problems. Ask what might happen if you unintentionally ingest more than the recommended dosage, and what to do if you miss one of your doses.
Ask how your medicine will interact
You should be sure that the medicine will not cause you problems if it interacts with other medicines, drinks or foods you have in your system. Mixing the wrong medicines in your body can cause dangerous health problems. Your doctor should also tell you about any activities to avoid while taking your medicine.
Exercising control over your care may avoid a dangerous outcome. Still, remember that physicians and pharmacists have the responsibility to give the correct medicine to their patients and may be liable for damages for providing you with the wrong medication.
