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“Lithuanians use medication quite frequently; about a tenth of painkillers are used once a week and a quarter – at least once a month. However, painkillers should not be abused as they can cause stomach erosion, intestinal bleeding or other very unpleasant consequences when taken in high doses or for long periods of time ”, says the specialist.
So what mistakes do Lithuanians usually make when taking medicine? The pharmacist provides a list of the seven most common mistakes.
1. Risk of overdose with different preparations with the same substances. According to S. Gečis, people tend to buy several similar drugs with the same active ingredients during self-medication.
“For example, paracetamol is often present in cold remedies. In such cases, when several similar drugs are mixed and a rapid effect is expected, the body, and especially the kidneys and liver, are under a great load. If alcohol is also consumed at the same time, it is possible to end up in resuscitation. An overdose is possible by taking many supplements together with medications, if they both contain the same substance, ”says the specialist.
2. It does not take into account the combination of drugs with food. Pharmacist S. Gečys advises patients to pay attention not only to the recommended duration and frequency of the medication, but also to the instructions on when, before or after a meal, they should be taken.
“Medicines will only be used safely if all recommendations are followed. Because in some cases, tablets taken with food can harm the body. Grapefruit, for example, alters the properties of liver enzymes, which can increase the concentration and toxicity of many concomitant drugs, “says the pharmacist.
3. Self-sufficiency and not taking a full course of prescription drugs. Pharmacist S. Gečys observes that patients often complain that one or another drug does not help them or even worsens their well-being. After hearing the details, it turns out that this happens due to the arbitrariness of the patients: they stop taking the drug when they feel better, regardless of the duration of treatment prescribed by doctors.
“Irregular or complete discontinuation of medications, despite doctor’s recommendations, can eradicate the body and harm health. For example, taking antihypertensive medications such as papolla can further increase the risk of stroke or heart attack. These medications they are intended for long-term use, so they should be used for the entire specified period, says the specialist.The same rules apply to the use of antibiotics: arbitrarily stopping their use can have very sad consequences for health.
For this reason, it is very important not to follow the recommendations of the doctor or pharmacist, without their knowledge not to reduce the dose of the drug and not to stop taking it. If a patient has any doubts, they can always talk to a doctor or pharmacist ”.
4. Stores medications and keeps them out of order. In such cases, according to the pharmacist, there is a higher probability that expired or unspent drugs will be used.
“When medicines are stored in a disorderly way, their boxes and brochures are often lost. It often happens that the elderly, who do not have the opportunity to consult the information on the Internet, take the available medicines to the pharmacy, review them together and they write on the leaflet which preparations are intended for whom, ”says pharmacist S. Gečys about the unusual tasks of a pharmacist.
5. Spend on the purchase of several similar drugs. The pharmacist points out that older people tend to buy several types of similar drugs. This situation was particularly accentuated after changes in drug prices, when some reimbursable drugs were replaced by other generics. People who buy them sometimes only notice at home that these preparations are different from what they used before. Some of these buyers, who do not trust the new drug, rush to the pharmacy again and request additional sales of previously used drugs. This results in higher costs and some of the drugs are often not used.
6. It does not take into account the storage conditions of medicines. Patients often forget about proper storage conditions; It is recommended that many products be stored at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees, and some – in a dark and cool place. “The pharmacy is particularly unsuitable for a place above a radiator or on a shelf illuminated by the sun,” emphasizes the pharmacist.
7. Take expired medications. The specialist warns that if the expiration date is indicated on the food supplements with the words “consume before”, this indicates the maximum effectiveness of the preparation before the specified date, therefore we do not harm the body even if the supplement is used after that date. Date of Expiry. However, no exceptions can be made after the expiration date of the drug.
“Do an audit of your pharmacy at least once a year. Expired drugs can not only be ineffective, but also dangerous: they can lead to poisoning and allergic reactions. It is better to take them, both those that you no longer use and those that have expired, to the pharmacy and hand them over for disposal ”, advises S. Gečys.
