Down with some kind of illness, depending on what it is, sometimes you can go to a pharmacy and buy medication to relieve your symptoms, while at other times you need to see a doctor who will prescribe drugs for you.
All medications, therefore, fall into two main categories – non-prescription or “over-the-counter” medicines and prescription-only medicines, explains Specialist Physician Dr. Chamari Lochana Weeraratne who is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.
Non-prescription medicines:
Doctors have decided that a limited number of medications may be obtained from a pharmacy by a patient without submitting a prescription.
Citing the example of paracetamol, Dr. Weeraratne says that if a person has a temperature, he or she can buy this drug over-the-counter from a pharmacy. However, she stresses that the expected outcome would be felt only if important details such as dosage and the time interval between doses are strictly adhered to.
“Otherwise, there may be adverse effects,” she warns. “If a higher dosage during a shorter interval is taken, it can affect your liver. It is also important to remember that if the fever persists beyond two days, you need to see a doctor.”
Some of the other medications that may be bought without a prescription include antihistamines to control catarrh; some cough syrups; gripe mixture, antacids to deal with gastritis; aspirin; certain vitamins; iron and calcium tablets; re-hydration sachets; and family planning medications or contraceptives, MediScene learns.
Here are some vital facts that need to be taken into account before you buy non-prescription medicines
- Do you have any other health problem or illness?
- Are you taking any short-term or long-term prescription-only medications?
- Are you hoping to start a pregnancy?
- Are you an expectant mother?
- Are you breastfeeding?
- Are you intending to give the medication to a child or an elderly person?
Prescription-only medicines:
The medicines which come under this group will be prescribed by a doctor after a thorough clinical examination of the patient and delving into the case history in detail. These medicines should only be bought on a doctor’s prescription and only used for the time period specified. Buying the same medicines over and over again using an old prescription is not acceptable unless the doctor has specifically instructed that the prescription be repeated.
Unfortunately, some pharmacies dole out such medicines too over-the-counter, points out Dr. Weeraratne, adding that patients should beware of this practice. “This is dangerous. It will create more problems than good.”
The “must-knows”
about medications:
- The generic and brand names of the medication. Eg. The generic name is paracetamol while the brand names include Panadol and Paracetol.
- The “inactive” ingredients in the medication. Eg. Sugar, salt or alcohol.
- The diseases and symptoms that will be addressed by the medication – is it for fever, headache, gastritis, cough, catarrh etc.
- The expiry date of the medication after which it should not be used.
- The price of the medication.
- The way the medication should be used – the dosage; how many times a day; is there a stipulated time for the medication (morning or evening or both); should the medication be taken with meals or before or after; and how long should you be on the medication; and are there any special instructions with the medication?
- In the event of a dose being missed at the stipulated time, what should you do? If accidentally you take a higher or lower dose, then what?
- How will the medication react if you take certain drinks including alcohol or certain food? Are there certain types of beverages, food or other drugs that you should not take along with the medication?
Is it suitable for those suffering from certain other illnesses such as hypertension (high blood pressure) or diabetes?
- Should you refrain from certain work or activity, while you are on the medication? Eg. As certain medications make you drowsy, you should not drive a vehicle or operate heavy machinery.
What are the side-effects of the medication and if such side-effects arise, what should you do?
- How should you store the medication at home? As far as possible keep the medication in its original package, safeguarding it against insects such as ants and cockroaches. Mark the date on which the original packaging was removed.
Do not keep medications within reach of children and also close to food. Keep the medication away from strong sunlight (as heat could destroy it) and especially capsules and tablets in a cool, dry (moisture may affect the active ingredients) place. Never store different types of tablets together.
Don’t store liquid medication in the freezer compartment of the fridge as its efficacy will be affected. Leave out of the fridge, if no such directions are given. Get rid of any expired medication, making sure that children don’t have access to it. If many people in your home are using medications store each one’s in different areas with that person’s name marked clearly on them.
How can you obtain more medication if the need arises?
If you have any questions or issues about a medication that you are on, it is crucial to check with the pharmacist or the doctor, stresses Dr. Weeraratne.
When you are given any medication, make sure to read and understand the instructions on the label and follow those unless your doctor has advised you differently, she says, adding that in case the dosage stipulated does not clear the symptoms, never take a larger dosage as it is dangerous. As it takes a while for a cure to come about, you should check with your doctor when to expect it.
Unless mentioned, you should not break, grind or chew a medication, MediScene understands, while you should also not mix different brands. Eg. It is not advisable to use both paracetamol and Panadol together.
If your doctor has prescribed many medications, do not take any others including vitamins without consulting him first. Do not give anyone else the medication prescribed to you by a doctor, however similar you may think the symptoms are. Each person is different and it is essential for that person to seek medical advice, adds Dr. Weeraratne. |
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