Due to the large variety of medications and other therapies that are now available, it is more important than ever to know about medicines you take. If you take several different medicines, see more than one doctor, or have certain health conditions, you and your doctors and one pharmacy need to be aware of all the medicines you take. Doing so will help you to avoid potential problems such as drug interactions.

Drug interactions may increase the action or toxicity of a particular drug, make medication less effective, or cause unexpected side effects. Some drug interactions can even be fatal. Reading the label every time you use a nonprescription or prescription drug and taking the time to learn about drug interactions may be critical to your health.

When your doctor prescribes a new drug, discuss all OTC and prescription drugs, dietary supplements, vitamins, botanicals, minerals and herbals you take, as well as the foods you eat. By using one professional pharmacy that maintains your medication profile and provides personal counseling on the most significant information about each new prescription, patients can decrease the risk of serious drug interactions.

This article brought to you by Soldotna Professional Pharmacy