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This develops your confidence in over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and slowly you get in to a habit of combining medications (prescribed ones) and OTCs including vitamin supplements and even aspirins - those that don't mix.

In ninety-nine percent cases such a combination may not have any reaction but in one percent it may turn out to be disastrous. So don't play with your life. Improper use of medication can result in adverse reactions, at times, fatal. At times the adverse reactions may not be visible immediately but may become pronounced at a later date.

The word 'drug' not only means a substance prescribed by our doctor but also includes non-prescription substances such as laxatives, cough/cold medicines, aspirin, coffee, tea, alcohol and tobacco.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently warned customers to avoid nonprescription drugs with phenylpropanolamine, or PPA, after concluding that they raise the risk for women for a rare form of bleeding stroke in the brain.

PPA everywhere

An approved nonprescription weight-loss drug PPA is a common ingredient in everything from over-the-counter appetite suppressants to cough and cold remedies. While its exact effects are not clear, the compound is believed to cause a slight, temporary increase in blood pressure.

All new drugs are approved by the Drugs departments before they are introduced in the market. Yet a drug can have unexpected side effects. Such side effects can arise due to medication errors and interaction between two different drugs and certain foods.

Hence, it is in your own interest that you ask your doctor about any side effects associated with your medication and how and when to take it. This can help you anticipate and understand your medicine's side effects and help you deal with them.

What information should you have about the medicines that are prescribed to you by your doctor? The National Council on Patient Information and Education of the US has developed six questions to ask your doctor. These questions include the name of the medicine and what it does, how and when to take it and possible side effects.

Extra questions:

    1.    What does the medicine look like? 
    2.    How long will I need to take it?
    3.    What do I do if I miss a dose?
    4.    Does it replace anything that I was taking earlier?
    5.    Where and how do I store it?

Be sure that you tell your doctor your complete medical history and also about all the drugs (prescription and non-prescription) that you take so that drug interactions can be minimised or avoided.

Here are some tips for getting your medicine's full benefit while reducing the possibility of any dangerous problems: 

For real benefit

    1.    Continue to take your medication especially antibiotics, even if you feel
           better.  Some conditions, such as heart problems and high blood pressure,
           may require long-term treatment.
    2.    Get the refills of your prescriptions well in time, don't wait till you run out
           of the last dose.
    3.    Don't change the dose or stop taking your medication without your
           doctor's permission.
    4.    Call your doctor right away if you experience any side effects.
    5.    Check with your doctor before mixing prescription and over-the-counter
           drugs to avoid possible interactions.
    6.    If you miss a dose, don't take twice as much the next time to compensate.
    7.    Read the medicine label and patient information for the drug. Ask your
           doctor or pharmacist about any discrepancies.

According to a study, even when faced with potentially going blind, 58 percent of diabetics don't take their medicines regularly. So if you need to take medications for extended periods as a part of routine, but find it difficult to do so consistently, consider these strategies, they may help you: 

    1.    Take medications as part of a routine that is already a habit, such as
           when brushing your teeth or eating a meal.
    2.    Ask a partner or friend to help you, particularly when traveling or
           otherwise changing your routine.
    3.    Keep medications visible and if that's not practical (because of children
           in the house, for instance), put up notes as a reminder.
    4.    Don't use others' medicines even if their health problem sounds like yours.
           It may not be the same. Also, we react differently to the same medication.
    5.    Don't take medicines in the dark; turn on the lights to make sure what you
           are taking. It might seem like a radical notion, but consider taking nothing
           for that running nose and try getting regular exercise and eating less
           instead of popping a weight-loss pill.

Link: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1997/497_otc.html

Anoop Khanna
                    Asst. Manager (PR)

For further details contact:
Loss Prevention Association of India Ltd., (LPA)
Seethakathi Chambers, ( 4th Floor)
688, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 006.
Phone : 8524648, 8523920.
Fax: 8523746.

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