{"id":16722,"date":"2014-11-03T17:20:53","date_gmt":"2014-11-03T17:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/clekis.com\/?p=16722"},"modified":"2014-11-03T17:20:53","modified_gmt":"2014-11-03T17:20:53","slug":"6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Common Mistakes You May be Making With Your Prescriptions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/pill-bottles.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-16723\" src=\"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/pill-bottles-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"pill-bottles\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-excerpt\">In honor of Talk About Your Medicines Month<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"right-rail-module rr-taboola-video\" data-name=\"rr-taboola-video\">\n<div id=\"taboola-right-rail-organic-video-3511283\" class=\"taboola trc_related_container trc_spotlight_widget trc_elastic trc_elastic_trc_69319 \" data-mode=\"verticalx3\" data-placement=\"right-rail-organic\" data-type=\"video\">\n<div class=\"trc_rbox_container\">\n<div id=\"trc_wrapper_69319\" class=\"trc_rbox verticalx3 trc-content-organic \">\n<div id=\"trc_header_69319\" class=\"trc_rbox_header trc_rbox_border_elm\">\n<div class=\"trc_header_ext\">In honor of Talk About Your Medicines Month, read up on common mistakes to avoid with your prescriptions.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>You get the brand name over generic<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, they\u2019re cheaper, but generic drugs are just as effective as the brand name. To be approved by the FDA, a generic drug must have the same active ingredients as the original. The only difference is the inactive ingredients, like dye or preservatives, which don\u2019t affect the action of the drug. \u201cSmall variations in the generic are permissible,\u201d says Kim Russo, PharmD, chief clinical officer at VUCA Health, a medication video service available at certain pharmacies nationwide. \u201cMost of the time we don\u2019t even medically notice it.\u201d If you don\u2019t tolerate one of the inactive ingredients well, then you might need the brand name. Otherwise, save yourself the money and go with the generic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You mix your meds with the wrong foods (or drinks)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Always check what foods or drinks could interact with your medicine. One to watch out for: grapefruit and grapefruit juice. \u201cAs many as 50 drugs on the market can be affected,\u201d Russo says. Depending on the drug, grapefruit juice can reduce or increase absorption\u00ad\u2014the latter could lead to overdose. Then there are certain drugs that shouldn\u2019t be taken with calcium-rich foods because they interfere with your body\u2019s absorption of the medication, Russo says. Plus, there are medications that cause you to lose or retain potassium, so you\u2019ll want to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether you need to start (or stop) eating certain foods. And you should ask your doctor if it\u2019s OK to drink alcohol while taking your prescription. \u201cAlcohol can turn possible mild side effects into dangerous ones,\u201d Russo says. The FDA has more info on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/downloads\/Drugs\/ResourcesForYou\/Consumers\/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely\/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine\/GeneralUseofMedicine\/UCM229033.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">bad food-drug combos<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You don\u2019t check your Rx label at the pharmacy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To save yourself the stress of a medication error, make sure you have the right prescription before you leave the pharmacy. If your pharmacist only asks for your name at the counter, provide another identifier, like a birth date or address. That way you\u2019ll know the drug is filled under the correct person, Russo says. Another good idea: open your bag. \u201cI would read the label and open the prescription to see if you recognize it,\u201d Russo says. A different color or shape may just mean the drug is coming from a new generic manufacturer, but it never hurts to be safe.<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-ad-3511283\" class=\"content-ad\">\u00a0<strong>You don\u2019t talk to your pharmacist<\/strong><\/div>\n<p>Most pharmacists will ask if you have questions about your medication. But when\u2019s the last time you actually voiced one? It\u2019s never a good idea to rush through picking up a new prescription. That\u2019s the time to find out what the medicine is for as well as the benefits and possible side effects or drug interactions, Russo says. If you\u2019ve been on the medication a while and have noticed unexplained changes lately, say a rash or constant headache, that\u2019s also a good time to speak up. On three or more medications? \u201cIt\u2019s a great idea once a year to make an appointment with your pharmacist to review them,\u201d Russo suggests.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You store your meds in the wrong spots<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The number one worst place you could keep your medication is the bathroom. That\u2019s because moisture can degrade medicine, Russo says. Medications also need to be protected from light. \u201cThat\u2019s why prescription vials are the amber color, to block UV light,\u201d Russo says. Still, you should keep medication in a dark place, especially if you have a pill organizer that\u2019s clear and light can get through. Certain drugs shouldn\u2019t be taken out of the vial at all. Some medications, like insulin, might need to be refrigerated initially, but can be taken out to warm up before injecting and then stored at room temperature for a set number of days. Just keep in mind some drugs are meant to be kept in the fridge and they can lose their effectiveness if left at room temperature for even a few hours, Russo says. Check with your pharmacist to know how long is too long.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You don\u2019t dispose of old meds properly<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most pills remain effective up to two years after the expiration date, Russo says. When it\u2019s time to get rid of them, though, don\u2019t count on the toilet as your go-to disposal method. \u201cFlushing certain cardiac, seizure, or hormone medications can be very harmful to the environment,\u201d Russo says. Only a few medications, including ones for pain, are recommended by the FDA for disposal by flushing. The rest you should throw in a plastic bag with kitty litter or used coffee grounds so kids or pets won\u2019t be tempted to eat them. Then, the bag\u2019s ready for the trash. You could also ask your pharmacist about upcoming medicine take-back programs.<\/p>\n<p>from time.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In honor of Talk About Your Medicines Month In honor of Talk About Your Medicines Month, read up on common [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[116,258],"tags":[104,541,542],"class_list":["post-16722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal-blog","category-consumer-alert","tag-prescription-drugs","tag-consumer-alerts","tag-mistakes"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>6 Common Mistakes You May be Making With Your Prescriptions - MMG Resources<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Common Mistakes You May be Making With Your Prescriptions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In honor of Talk About Your Medicines Month In honor of Talk About Your Medicines Month, read up on common [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MMG Resources\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-11-03T17:20:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/pill-bottles-200x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MediaBeast\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MediaBeast\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"MediaBeast\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f1e4fbc14f15dffe99af02d0efb60287\"},\"headline\":\"6 Common Mistakes You May be Making With Your Prescriptions\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-11-03T17:20:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":842,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/clekis.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/11\\\/pill-bottles-200x300.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"prescription drugs\",\"consumer alerts\",\"mistakes\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Legal Blog\",\"Consumer Alert\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/6-common-mistakes-making-prescriptions\\\/\",\"name\":\"6 Common Mistakes You May be Making With Your Prescriptions - 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