A prescription from a doctor can be the first step toward recovering from an illness or managing a medical condition, but your responsibility for your own health care doesn’t end there. The very medicine that was made to heal you could hurt you if not used correctly. Therefore, avoid the following bad habits. 

Common Errors Involving Prescription Medication 

1. Ignoring Instructions 

Medical labels have directions regarding dosage and storage that you should follow to the letter. If you accidentally skip a dose, consult these instructions—or a doctor—for how to proceed.

Don’t assume anything. For example, while you might have learned that some pills can be split in half for less potency, in some cases, this affects the time release, so that instead of your body getting a little medication over several hours or days, it receives a shock of it all at once. This can, sometimes, result in an overdose.

Keep taking your medicine for as long as the prescription dictates, even if your symptoms improve or disappear.

2. Lack of Organization 

To be as effective as it’s meant to be, medicine should be taken at the same time every day. Set an alarm on your clock, phone, or watch to remind you when to take it. Additionally, maintain a list of the medicines you’ve been prescribed. Store all of them in a pillbox so that you know which ones you need on a given day. Every time you have a doctor’s appointment, go over the list to make sure it’s up to date. 

3. Mixing Drugs 

Some medications can’t be taken together without making you seriously sick, so call your health care clinic to speak with your doctor before consuming other drugs while on prescribed medications. This includes alcohol. Also, never use drugs that were not prescribed for you. Other people’s bodies have different needs, so their medications may not work in the same way for you. 

4. Using Different Pharmacies 

Fill all your prescriptions at one pharmacy. If the staff gets the chance to know you and your regular orders, they will be more likely to notice if there are problems with a prescription or offer personalized advice for using it. Many pharmacies also provide automatic refills and will let you know when it’s time to pick them up. 

 
When you need to get prescription medicine, go to Peninsula Community Health Services in Soldotna, AK. As a medical center offering every type of health care service you could need, including dentistry, general medicine, vision care, psychiatry, and behavioral health medicine, they also have an on-site pharmacy offering compassionate service and affordable prices. Walk in to be seen by a doctor when the doors open at 7:45 a.m. or you can make an appointment by calling (907) 262-3119. Visit their website to learn more about their offerings.