Deciphering Medication Guides
When you receive a medication guide or information leaflet with a new drug from your pharmacy, do you toss it in the recycling bin without reading it? This approach is not in your best interest, even if it can be tiresome to work your way through the minutiae.
“You need to read the whole thing,” advises Judith Beizer, PharmD, clinical professor at St. Johns University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “Go over the leaflet with the pharmacist before you leave the pharmacy, if possible—and apply the same caution to reading drug facts labels on over-the-counter medications.”
Whether they are from in-store or online pharmacies, medication guides contain the same basic information, which is intended to help you get the most benefit from your medication, avoid adverse effects, and clarify the dosage and duration of treatment.
Side Effects At the top of a medication guide, you will typically see a section entitled, “What is the most important information I should know about (name of drug)” or similar. This section includes a summary of common side effects you need to stay alert for, and what to do if you experience any of these. (A more detailed explanation of potential side effects is included further down the guide.)
Side effects are grouped according to their level of severity. While some side effects may cause minor discomfort, such as dry mouth, nausea, or drowsiness, others are potentially dangerous. For minor issues, the instructions may say, “Talk with your doctor,” or “Tell your doctor.” Difficulty breathing, seizures, chest pain, and fainting are examples of side effects that warrant an instruction to “Call your doctor right away.”
Indications An explanation of what the drug treats is titled “What is (name of drug)”—it also may be called, “What (name of medication) is used for,” or “How this medication works.” This area specifies the disease/condition or the disease symptom (for example, hypertension) a drug is approved to treat. If you have none of the conditions listed on the leaflet, the drug may have been prescribed for “off-label use,” meaning that the FDA approved it for a specific condition, but your doctor is using it to treat another condition. “For example, certain antidepressants are also used for neuropathic pain,” says Beizer. Call your doctor if you are uncertain which condition your new medication is for.
Warnings A section entitled “Who should not take (name of drug)?” will clarify other medical conditions, such as allergies, or liver or kidney disease, that could be adversely affected by the drug; as well as list other drugs, herbal supplements, and vitamins that could interact negatively with your medication. You also may see specific circumstances in which the drug should be stopped (for example, prior to or immediately after a surgical procedure).
If you see several health specialists, it’s important to make sure they are aware of other medical conditions you have. “It’s also vital to inform all of your doctors about all of the medications you take, including over-the-counter drugs,” Beizer adds. “If an existing medication is listed as contraindicated for a new drug, a different medication may be more appropriate for you.” You also may see herbal supplements or vitamins listed. “Don’t assume these won’t interact with conventional drugs because they are labeled as ‘natural’,” Beizer says. “Tell your doctor about these too.”
Under a section called, “What should I avoid when taking (name of drug),” you will see precautions you should take when using the medication—for example, a warning about not operating machinery or driving after a dose, or an instruction to avoid alcohol while taking the drug. If there are any risks specific to older adults, this is where you will find them.
How to Take Your Medication This section (typically called, “How should I take (name of drug)?” includes general advice on what time of day the medication should be taken, and whether you need to eat (or avoid eating) when taking it. “Some medications can irritate the stomach if you take them without food, but the absorption of other medications, such as some antibiotics, may be slowed by food,” Beizer explains. “Also, specific types of food—for example, dairy products and grapefruit juice—can affect the absorption rate or metabolism of drugs for conditions such as infections, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.”
This section also will clarify whether or not you can split or crush pills to make them easier to take, and what you should do if you miss a dose or inadvertently take too much of the drug.
Medication Storage Always read the instructions for how to use and store the medication. Some drugs are altered by light, heat, cold, and moisture, and must be stored as indicated to work as intended.
Last but not least, don’t throw medication guides away. “If you take multiple medications, it’s important to keep the leaflets to remember which medication is for which condition,” says Beizer. “If you have a question and aren’t able to get through to your pharmacist or doctor, you can go back to the leaflet and get the answer.”
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