Patient education: Why taking your medicine as prescribed is important (The Basics)

Why is it important to take medicine as prescribed? — Your doctor prescribed a medicine to help with your condition or illness. Take the dose that is shown on the prescription label (figure 1). This dose is based on your age, weight, and specific health problems, as well as the other medicines you take.

You can have a big impact on your health just by taking your medicine the right way.

You might need to take a medicine for a short time or for the rest of your life. In either case, it is important to take the medicine the right way. When you do, you are more likely to feel better and not have complications from your illness.

Taking your medicine the right way is something only you can control. There are many reasons people don't take their medicine correctly. Below are some tips that can help.

What if I am not sure how or when to take my medicine? — It is important to know about your medicines, and how and why you take them. This helps keep you safe and lets the medicines work correctly. If you have any questions, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

●Make sure that you know the right dose and when to take the medicine. Ask:

•How much should I take?

•When should I take it?

•Should I take it with food or between meals?

•Is there anything special I should know about how to take it?

●All medicines have at least 2 names: a brand name and a generic name. Ask for both the brand and generic names of your medicines.

●Each time you go to the doctor or hospital, discuss all the medicines you take. It is especially important to ask whether you should take a new medicine along with the old ones or instead of the old ones.

What if I have trouble remembering to take my medicines? — Taking your medicines at the right times each day is important. So is taking them each time you are supposed to.

Here are some tips to help you stay organized:

●Set an alarm on your phone or watch to help you remember. There are also smartphone apps that can text you to remind you to take your medicines.

●If your medicines can be stored in a pill box, use one that has a section for each day (picture 1). Some also have sections for different times of the day. Fill the pill box each week. This makes it easier to see if you took your medicines each day.

●Take your medicine each day when you do another activity, like brush your teeth or eat breakfast. Before you set a routine, make sure you know if your medicines should be taken with food or on an empty stomach.

●If your medicine comes in a pill bottle, turn it upside down after you take your medicines that day. Before you go to bed at night, turn the pill bottles right side up again.

●Keep a calendar that lists your doses and when to take them. This is very helpful if you are on a medicine that you will only take for a short time, like an antibiotic. You can cross off each dose as you take it to be sure that you do not miss any.

●Some people take many medicines or have a condition that prevents them from remembering to take their medicine. In this case, they might qualify to have their medicines packed with all the pills for a particular time of day. Talk to your nurse, pharmacist or case manager about this.

What if I am worried about side effects? — Some people feel side effects after they take medicine. Others don't.

●Talk to your doctor or pharmacist, and ask about the most common side effects and what to watch for. They can help you manage common side effects.

●If a side effect bothers you, call your doctor right away. Do not stop taking a medicine without talking to your doctor first. They might be able to adjust the medicine or prescribe a different one that works better for you.

Why do I need to take a medicine if I feel better? — Often, medicine makes you feel better, but you will feel worse or become sicker if you stop taking it. It can be very risky to stop some medicines before you are supposed to. It depends on what kind of medicine you are taking and why you take it.

●When you start any medicine, ask your doctor, "How long will it take for the medicine to start working, and how will I know if it is working?" Also, make sure that you know how long you need to take the medicine.

●If you stop some medicines too soon, they might not work for you the next time you need them. Antibiotics are an example.

●It can be harmful to stop some medicines quickly. This can cause side effects or other health problems.

●When you feel better, it might be harder to remember to take your medicines. Use tools like a calendar, smartphone app, or alarm to help you remember.

What if I feel worse after I start the medicine than I did before? — With some medicines, you might not feel better right away. It is still important to continue them as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think that a medicine is not helping.

●As your body gets used to the medicine, the side effect might go away. Sometimes, the side effect is less harmful than not treating your condition.

●Talk to your doctor about any side effects that bother you. They can suggest solutions. Not everyone has the same side effects, so your doctor won't know what's happening unless you tell them.

What else should I do to stay safe?

●Know what to do if you miss a dose of medicine. This depends on the medicine you are taking and when the next dose is due. In some cases, you should take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, you might need to skip the dose and keep your regular schedule. If you miss several doses, ask your doctor what to do.

●Do not take over-the-counter medicines or supplements with your prescription medicines unless your doctor or pharmacist has said that it is safe.

●If you are having trouble swallowing pills or taking your medicine, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to take your medicine.

●Get a refill before you run out of your medicine.

What if I can't afford my medicines? — Some medicines can be very costly. If you can't afford your medicines, talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. They might have ways to lower the costs or be able to help in other ways. Do not skip doses or take smaller doses to try to save money. This could cause serious health problems.

●Be honest with your doctor about how much you can pay. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how much the medicine might cost and if there is a cheaper or generic medicine that you can take instead. You need to talk to your doctor before switching medicines.

●Understand what your insurance will pay. Sometimes, you need special approval for a medicine. Some insurance companies charge less if you get your medicine through the mail. Others charge less if you get a 3-month supply of medicine at one time.

●Learn about prescription assistance programs. Some areas have programs to help people pay for medicines. Some companies also might offer low-cost or free medicines.

More on this topic

Patient education: Medication safety (The Basics)
Patient education: Side effects from medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Drug allergy (The Basics)
Patient education: Brand versus generic medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Hazardous medicine safety at home (The Basics)
Patient education: Taking medicines during pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Taking medicines when you're older (The Basics)
Patient education: Prescription drug misuse (The Basics)
Patient education: Coping with high drug prices (The Basics)
Patient education: Going home from the hospital (The Basics)

Patient education: Coping with high prescription drug prices in the United States (Beyond the Basics)