Prescription Drugs: What you need to know.

Have you ever wanted to be Sherlock Holmes?  If so, the next time you get a prescription you'll have your opportunity.  Ask your doctor the following: do I really need it, why do I need it, when do I need to take it and how long?  All too often we just take the prescription to the pharmacy and start using it without knowing what we are putting into our bodies or why.

Pretty green butterflies tell us everything will be much better if we just swallow the pills.  But some of these drugs are extremely powerful and can cause tremendous health problems if taken incorrectly.  Bright symbols and cartoonish mascots often give us a false sense of security and mask the complex nature of the compound as it works inside.

Sometimes we need the medications and they do make us better.  But other times, we're given a prescription because the physician thinks we want one!  Many of my physician friends tell me their patients expect a prescription every time they come to the office and feel like they've been gypped if they don't get one.  Now really, in your heart don't you know that's true?  So like I was saying, you might not really need it.  That's why you should ask.

Sometimes we stop taking a drug because we have a complication, a side effect or it just makes us feel weird.  Let your doctor know you've stopped taking the medication, then when you're sure you won't need it, dispose of the drugs properly.  How? Well, some people think answer is "flush them down the toilet".  That would be wrong!  Please don't put them in the water supply.  Simply keep them in the container and throw the entire thing in the trash.  There have been recent reports of medications found in municipal water supplies and the news did not give me a good feeling.  Another reason to get rid of them is because children, the elderly or your friends might take them.  Children and the elderly can easily be poisoned.  Your friends might want them for personal reasons or to sell and obviously none of these is good.

Finally, take the drug as prescribed.  Research shows that fewer than 50% of all prescription medications are taken according to the directions.  I've had patients crush medications that should be taken whole or insert them in places too sensitive to mention when they should take them orally.  Guess what, they don't work!  Not only is it embarrassing when you tell your health care provider what happened (assuming you do), you won't get any better.

So ask questions, read the labels and dispose of medications wisely.  Just like Sherlock, you could prevent a serious situation by asking questions and considering the evidence!