It is estimated that half of all patients who take medicines do not take them right. They cither cat the wrong foods with their medication, or happen to mix their medicines with alcohol intake, or take them at the wrong times.

According to Dorothy Smith, an American researcher on the subject, around 30% of patients could be jeopardizing their health through mistakes in taking their medicines.

Here are a few suggestions to minimize chances of such errors.

You should clearly know the name of the drug you are taking, its dosage, and what foods and drinks you should avoid taking with it. And so also foods which could make the medicine more effective.

As to what to drink to wash down the pill, water is nearly always a good choice. Fruit juices can destroy certain drugs before they reach your blood stream.

Even milk can render a few drugs ineffective, like tetracycline’s. On the other hand, milk is recommended for some medication because it settles the stomach. Taking pills with coffee or tea can present problems as both these beverages contain caffeine. So better consult your doctor whether caffeine would adversely influence your medicine.

Some people have trouble swallowing pills, They should ask their physician whether the prescribed medicines also comes in powder of liquid form, Or ask whether they can crush the pill and ingest it mixed with water.

 When you take a pill, resist the common tendency to throw your head back as you swallow it, Instead, tilt your head forward and down a little as you sip the water. The pill will naturally rise to the back of your mouth and go down more easily.

 Taking a bit of water before you put the pill in your mouth will moisten your throat, too.

If you’re in bed when you take & pill, don’t lie down again for a minute or two after you’ve swallowed it, to be sure it’s gone all the way down.

If it’s still stuck, eat a banana. The Slippery banana will help slide down the pill more easily, otherwise, keep drinking water until it’s out of your throat.

Whatever you do, you don’t let the pill sit there until it dissolves on. Its own letting a pill sit in your throat for several minutes can produce an ulcer on the spot.

 Take note that some medicines have a different impact at different times of day. Even aspirin is marginally more effective at night than in the morning, But in the case of a few medicines, taking, them at the wrong time can be quite risky.

Where a medicine is to be taken once a day with no fixity of times, then it becomes more a matter of the patient’s convenience. For ox ample, some tranquilizers can be taken before bed so one is not sleepy during the day.

Going to the same chemist for a particular medicine is more helpful. You have less chances of getting a different brand.

Taking medicines is far more complicated in the case of the elderly. A majority of them take between one to three medicines daily, while some may be taking four to five drugs simultaneously, Not a few are also al risk of over-prescribing. The consequences of multiple drug therapy can be serious in person over 60 more so if there are errors in taking the prescribed medicines.

A number of drugs have the effect: of suppressing the appetite centers of the brain. Other may produce a Joss of taste or induce nausea. Several drugs cause malabsorption of nutrients. The drug -diet interactions in elderly people are more pronounced and serious. Accordingly, it’s incumbent on them and their caretakers to be extra careful about their medicines. Quite a few books are now available that give information to consumers about common drugs in Jayman’s language  things like the generic and brand names, usual dosages and other characteristics.

If you or your family area regular consumer of medicines, it’s worthwhile to become more familiar with your medicines through reference to such publications. Dorothy Smith’s book Understanding Prescription Drugs falls in the category, listing more than 800 drugs. It has illustrations how to administer them and other useful information about taking medicines.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 29, 1994