Talk to your pharmacist.

Talk to your pharmacist.

Your pharmacist is an important part of your health care team. Access to detailed information about drugs, the side effects and interactions, allows him or her to answer your questions. Here are a few to ask:

• If the bottle says take “4 times a day,” does that mean every 6 hours in a 24-hour period or 4 times during the day around breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime?
• Should I take the medicine before, after, or between meals? Is there anything I should avoid eating and / or drinking when taking this medicine?
• When should I stop taking the medicine?
• If I forget to take my medicine, what should I do?
• What side effects can I expect? What should I do if I have a problem?

If possible, use just one pharmacy so your records are in one place. If you use more than one pharmacy, make sure you have a list of prescribed medications on file at all the places that fill your prescriptions.