One of the most important people who you need to have conversations with is your pharmacist because they are the ones who are handling your medication.
And if you are taking medication that you are not asking questions about, then you are not doing yourself or your body any favors. What questions should you be asking your pharmacist but don’t? Here are 12 of them that you need to know.
#12 – What The Name Of Your Medication Is
You probably only know the name of the medication you are taking by its brand name. What about its actual name? Chances are that you don’t even know what you are taking. The name could be hard to pronounce. And this means you should do some research on the actual medication that you are taking. Sure, your doctor and pharmacist could warn you about side effects, but how else will the medication affect you?
#11 – How The Medication Can Realistically Help You
You have prescribed a medication for your condition or temporary infection, but you likely don’t know how it will really help you and what it can do for you. You need to know what the medication does so you have realistic expectations of how it can help.
#10 – What Time Of Day To Take The Medication
Your doctor or pharmacist may instruct you to take the medication at a certain time of day. But sometimes they don’t and you will want to ask how you should use the medication. Even if there are no instructions for a type of medication for when to take it, it is a good idea to ask about it anyway. Perhaps taking it at a certain time may be more helpful to you than taking it at other times.
#9 – If It Is Safe To Take The Medication While You Are Already On Another Prescription
Your doctor and pharmacist will tell you if the drug you are on will interact poorly with the medication you were prescribed. But you need to know exactly how far apart to take the medication from when you take the other. And you need to know what possible interactions you could still face. This even goes for a medication you are taking that will not likely have a poor interaction with a medication you have been prescribed.
#8 – Ask If The Medication Can Be Split
Your pharmacist will not likely tell you if the medication you are taking can be split unless it absolutely must be taken whole. But if you are unable to swallow pills, then you must ask the pharmacist if you can crush the medication. Maybe as well the medication comes in liquid form that you can mix with a beverage as well.
#7 – Ask If The Medication Can Be Taken On An Empty Stomach
Most of the time the pharmacist will take it known whether or not you can take medication on an empty stomach. But if it is not mentioned, then you must ask that question as that is important to know. And if the pharmacist says it is okay to take it on an empty stomach, ask if you will still end up with side effects as a result.
#6 – Ask The Pharmacist How Soon To Expect The Medication To Work
It may take some time for the medication to begin working, and the pharmacist should be letting you know when to expect seeing results. This is not something they will always tell you, so you will want to ask that important question so you don’t get disappointed if it is not working right away. Some medications can take a week to start showing signs that it is working.
#5 – Ask The Pharmacist What To Do If The Medication Is Not Working
It is important to ask the pharmacist if you are not noticing any changes after a period of time about what to do. Because it comes to a point when the medication may not be helpful to you.
#4 – Ask How Long You Will Need To Take The Medication
Sometimes it is safe to take medications for years, but other times it is not recommended to take it for longer than a few months. Your pharmacist has to let you know the answer to this important question so you are aware of what to do in order to take the next step if you need to be treated for something.
#3 – Ask If There Are Foods Or Activities To Avoid While Taking The Medication
Your pharmacist won’t necessarily tell you the foods or activities to avoid while taking the medication. Chances are they will tell you not to drink while taking the drug. But there may be other foods that are not recommended for you to take as well. This you will not know until you ask. And when it comes to activities, you will need to know which ones you can safely do such as swimming while on the medication.
#2 – How The Medication Should Be Stored
The pharmacist will not always tell you where and how to store medication you were prescribed. The only time they will tell you so is if it needs to be refrigerated. But how do you know if you expose the medication to heat by leaving it in your car on a hot summer day won’t ruin it? This is a question you need to ask.
#1 – What About Refills?
Chances are you will know if you have refills on a medication. But what about if you need refills in the future? You will need to find out how you will go about that.
The next time you are prescribed medication by your doctor, you need to talk to your pharmacist about your medication thoroughly so you get the information you need.
