Take Medicine the Right Way

When some people get a prescription for medicine from their physician, they believe that taking the first dosage is going to help cure them of their illness. It would be great if that happens, but it usually doesn't. Otherwise, the bottle would contain only one or two capsules.

There is a reason a prescription contains a 30-day supply of pills, capsules, or tablets.

Wash Pills Down With Water and No Other Liquid

Do not try to wash pills down with a few sips of water. Wash them down with a full glass of water and no other liquid. Do NOT wash them down with ice-cold water because the body will take longer and spend more energy warming the cold water rather than processing the medication.

Do NOT wash your pills down with hot water, either. Hot water destroys the medicine and weakens its potency. Pills will dissolve at an appropriate rate and remain effective when taken with water that is at a normal temperature.

Most medicines for children are already in liquid form, so they don't require water to be washed down, but adults should never swallow pills or supplements without a full glass of water. Liquids other than water might interfere with the medicine and keep it from doing what it was designed to do.

Don't try to swallow the pills without water. They need to be washed down with water so they can enter your bloodstream quickly.

You might as well not take the medication at all if you are not going to take it the way it was directed.

Take Medicine as Directed

Take Medicine As Is: Do not crush pills, tablets, or capsules. Take them as they are in order to get the best benefits.

Take Medicine With or Without Food: You might receive an upset stomach if you do not take some medicine with food. There are some medications you should not take with food. Make sure you read the label on the bottle for instructions.

Don't Lie Down: People should not lie down for at least 10 minutes after taking certain medicines, even though patients in a hospital are given some medicines while in bed. Apparently, those are medicines that do not matter whether people take them while lying down.

Take Medication in Original Form : Swallow pills whole instead of crushing, chewing, or breaking them. Otherwise, the special coating on them will be destroyed and may increase side effects.

Take Medicine at the Right Time : Some medications should be taken at or around the same time every day, instead of when you feel like taking them. If the direction is to take a pill twice a day, take one in the morning and the other one in the evening. Make sure there is some space in between dosages.

Take the Correct Dosage: To minimize the risks of side effects, use the correct dosage. Do not increase the dosage or take medicine more often than prescribed. While the correct dosage will heal you, the incorrect dosage could kill you.

Never Double Up on a Dose : If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time for your next dose. Don't take two dosages together. Skip the missed dose and only take the regular dose. Never take a double dose to make up for the one you missed.

Heed the Warnings: Pay close attention to the warnings that come with your medicine. It could be dangerous to your health if you eat grapefruits or drink grapefruit juice while taking certain medicines.

Never Share Medicines : Don’t share your medicines with anyone else. Physicians prescribe medications based on a person's medical condition. While that medicine might help others, it might harm you. In some states, it is a crime to share medicine. If the person gets sick or dies because of any medicine you shared, you will be charged with the crime. It is fine to share an aspirin or cough drop.

Be Patient as a Patient: For certain conditions, it may take a while before the medicine kicks in and gives you relief. You are prescribed a 30-day supply for a reason.

Take "As Needed" Medicine at the first sign of pain. It is much harder for medicine to help if you wait until the pain is at its height of intensity.

Keep Medications in a Safe Place

People usually keep their medicines in one of four common places.

1. Medicine cabinet
2. Refrigerator
3. Linen closet
4. Kitchen cabinet

Most people keep their medications in their bathroom medicine cabinet, where it is hot and humid. However, that is a dangerous place to keep medicine.

Some medicines should be refrigerated or kept in a cool, dry place. For example, eye drops and diabetic medicines should be stored in the refrigerator. Some medicines can be kept in your linen closet. They will last much longer there. Some people like to keep their medicines in a kitchen cabinet near the sink so they can get a full glass of water.

Cautions About Medicines

Expired Medicines : Medicine should not be kept beyond the expiration date because it is no longer potent. Taking it will not help you at all.

Loose Lids: Make sure lids are closed and kept tight on all medicine bottles.

Unused Medicine : Do not dump unused pills directly in the trash, down the sink, in the garbage disposal, or flush them down the toilet.

You can put whole tablets in an unpalatable substance such as dirt, kitty litter, or used coffee grounds. Place the mixture in Ziploc sealable plastic bags or coffee can, and put the container in your household trash.

Donate Unused Medicine : In some states, patients can donate unused drugs. However, expired and controlled substances cannot be donated. You cannot receive payment for donated medicine.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors periodic national prescription drug take-back days. Collection sites are set up around the country. You can take your unused or expired medications to your local collection site for safe disposal.