Medications

At the Chemist’s Shop

There are two departments in the chemist’s shop. At one chemist’s department you can have the medicine right away but at the prescription department the necessary drugs have to be ordered.

At the chemists’ all drugs are kept in drug cabinets. Every small bottle or box has a label with the name of the medicine and its indication stuck on it. There are drugs for internal, external uses and for injections. The dose to be taken is usually indicated on the signature or a label.

As a rule the directions for the administration of a drug are written on the signature. It is necessary for chemists, nurses, doctors as well as patients themselves, so that they won’t confuse different remedies because some of them are poisonous and their overdosage may cause bad reactions and sometimes even death.

When you come for medicine you had ordered the chemist may give you some recommendations, and say you the dose to be taken.

In the drug cabinets one can see small parcels of different powders, ampoules of drugs, used for intravenous and intramuscular injection. There are tubes of healing ointments, different pills, sedative and laxative drugs, tablets for headache, bottles of iodine and others. At the chemist’s shop one can buy hot water bottles, medicine droppers and many other things which are quite necessary for medical care.

An over-the counter (OTC) medication is any drug that you can buy without a doctor’s prescription. However, don’t assume that all OTC drugs are safe for you. They can interact with other medications and create serious health problems. Some common OTCs include antacids, antidiarrheals, cold and allergy remedies, laxatives, pain relievers. They can be very helpful, but can also create serious problems if used incorrectly.

There are thousands of different prescription medications, used to treat hundreds of different medical conditions. Two common types are antibiotics and minor tranquilizers/sleeping pills.

MEDICATION PROBLEMS

Side effects. Predictable, but unpleasant reactions to a drug. They are not usually serious, but can be inconvenient.

Allergies. Some people have severe, sometimes life-threatening reactions (called anaphylaxis) to certain medications.

Drug-drug interactions. When two or more drugs mix in the body they may cause an adverse reaction.

Drug-food interactions. Some drugs work best when taken with food, but others should be taken on an empty stomach.

Over-medication. Sometimes the full adult dose of a medication is too much for small people and those over age 60.

Addiction. Long-term use of some medications can lead to dependence of them and severe reactions if they are withdrawn suddenly. Narcotics, tranquilizers, and barbiturates should all be used with care to avoid addiction.

MEDICATION GUIDELINES

· Use medications only if non-drug approaches are not working.

· Know the benefits and side effects of a drug before taking it.

· Limit the medication to the minimum effective dose.

· Never take a drug prescribed for someone else.

· Follow the prescription instructions exactly or let your doctor know why you didn’t.

· Keep medications in their original containers with the caps on tightly and stored according to directions.

· Do not take medications in front of small children. They are great mimics. Don’t oversell the “candy” taste of children’s medicines or leave vitamins accessible to small children.

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