Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi, my name is Becky and I’m a licensed vocational nurse
at Hong *** Community Based Adult Services,
a program of Family Bridges, Inc.
Family Bridges, Inc. is a health and social services
nonprofit based in Oakland that serves the Asian community.
And we are a health partner of the Hotel Oakland Village.
The Village at Hotel Oakland seeks to increase the health and wellness of its residents
through fun and educational activities organized and run by the residents themselves.
Today’s topic is Taking Your Medicines Safely.
Medications prescribed today are successfully
treating and curing more illnesses than ever before.
There is also a wide variety of over the counter medicines
that are available to help you if needed.
Nearly 2/3 of all visits to the doctor’s office end with a prescription for medication.
There is approximately $75 billion spend
annually on prescription medicine.
But we need to look closely and
understand the role and impact that medication plays in our lives.
It is very important to understand the difference
between prescription and over the counter remedies.
Prescription medicine is prescribed by a doctor for a specific ailment,
using his or her medical knowledge and expertise.
Over the counter remedies can be purchased by any person,
without the authorization of a medical professional.
In the last 5 to 6 years, dozens of prescription medications
have switched to the non prescription status so we have a lot of potent medications
available for the general public that are
very accessible and can be potentially very dangerous.
Many strong medications are frequently being misused.
By not following instructions on how to take medicine safely,
people can vastly lower the quality of their lives
and put their lives at risk in some cases.
For example, if we took a poll of people in the US on antibiotics,
most likely we would see that they tend to stop taking them once they feel better,
even though they are supposed to take them for 7 - 10 days.
If we stop taking the antibiotics after 3 or 4 days
the antibiotic may not have a chance to
kill off all the bacteria out of the system,
therefore risking that the infection will return
with twice as much strength as before!
There are many reasons why patients don’t take their medications properly,
from simple forgetfulness, to misunderstanding about usage,
to more complex psychological issues.
Or sometimes the regimen for taking the medication is too complex.
Perhaps you are taking one medicine, once a day,
but another one three times a day and
yet another one four times a day!
No wonder we get confused!
For your own health and safety,
when a doctor gives you a prescription,
be sure you know the answers to the following six questions:
1. What is the name of the medicine?
2. What is the medicine supposed to do?
3. How and when do I take it and for how long?
4. What foods, drinks, and other medicines or
activities should I avoid while taking this medicine?
5. What are the possible side effects and
what do I do if they occur?
6. Is there any written information available
about the medicine that I can read?
After you know the answers to the six questions,
then it is important to help yourself or have someone
help you to administer the medications.
You or your caregiver should find the most ‘friendly’ method of
keeping track of all your medications and where they are.
1. Make sure they are properly labeled clearly
with the dose and frequency
2. Make sure they are stored in the same place so
they don’t get misplaced all over your home
3. If you are taking multiple medications each day,
use a pill box (sold at all pharmacies) that has
different slots for each day of the week and
for the different times of the day.
4. Find the best way for you, to be reminded of
when to take the medications.
For example, the pill box can help,
or an ‘alarm’ can remind you when to take your meds.
Or, some people use mealtime as their reminders if
their medication is taken three times a day, etc.
5. If you need assistance, your family member or caregiver
can play a critical role in reminding you
to take your medications and ensuring that they are correct.
Lastly, remember that people do not always
react to medicines in the same way.
Their metabolism is slower than a younger person.
Everyone’s genes are different and
this is one of the reasons people have
different reactions to the same medication.
In addition to age, your lifestyle, and
the numbers of medications you take
can also affect your reaction to your medications.
Taking medications is as integral a part of our
daily routine as brushing our teeth or eating breakfast!
By communicating closely with our healthcare providers,
and understanding what our medications do for our health,
we can take greater responsibility in our own health
to take medicines safely and effectively!