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Guidelines for Safe
and Effective Drug Use

Dose

It is important to take any medicine exactly as prescribed. This is most important with those drugs that have narrow margins ofsafety. Even oncea-day medications should be taken at the same time of day or night to ensure the most constant blood levels. Call your doctor if nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other problems interfere with taking your medicine as prescribed.

Interactions

Some drugs can interact with foods (including vitamins and some herbal remedies), alcohol, and other drugs (prescription and nonprescription) to cause serious adverse effects. The patient must be told about all likely interactants. If, during the course of treatment, you feel you have discovered a new interaction, tell your doctor so that its full significance can be determined.

Warning Symptoms

Many drugs will cause symptoms that are early warnings of a developing adverse effect: for example, severe headaches or visual disturbances before a stroke in a woman taking oral contraceptives. It is imperative that you know symptoms and signs that could be early warnings of adverse reactions. The patient is then empowered to act in his or her own behalf by calling their doctor before taking another dose of their medicine. Adverse reactions should be reported to the FDA following their current guidelines.

Examinations to Monitor Drug Effects

Many drugs in common use can damage vital body tissues (such as bone marrow, liver, kidney, eye structures, etc.)-especially when these drugs are used for a long time or in high doses. Sometimes these adverse effects are not discovered until a newly approved drug has been in wide use for a long time. This damage may be reversible if found quickly. Cooperate fully with your doctor when he or she asks for periodic exams to check for adverse drug effects.

Advanced Age and Debility

When we age or as some disease processes progress, vital organs may not work as well, and can greatly influence the body's response to drugs. These patients often poorly tolerate drugs with inherent toxic potential and frequently need smaller doses at longer intervals. The effects of drugs on the elderly and severely ill are often unpredictable. Great care must be taken to prevent or minimize adverse effects.

Appropriate Drug Choice

The use of any medicine is always a benefit-to-risk decision. The medication used should offer the best balance of overall cost (including lab tests) and outcomes (including quality of life). Many adverse reactions can be prevented if both physician and patient exercise good judgment and restraint.