Using Medicines Well
Ask a Pharmacist to Watch You Use Your Inhaler
Bring your inhaler to a pharmacist for a technique check, including device-specific steps, cleaning and the questions to ask after a change of prescription.
MEDICINES · HEALTH LITERACY · FAMILY CARE
Journal
Understanding Medicines
A Medicine’s Food Instruction Can Mean More Than Avoiding an Empty Stomach
Food instructions vary by medicine. Ask a pharmacist about timing, drinks and your routine rather than applying one rule to every tablet.
Medicine Questions
Ask the Pharmacist What to Do When You Miss a Dose
Prepare the details a pharmacist needs after a missed medicine dose, including the exact product, timing, leaflet and any symptoms, without guessing a catch-up schedule.
Using Medicines
Keep an Eye-Drop Tip Clear of the Eye and Fingers
Prepare a clean eye-drop routine, avoid touching the bottle tip and ask a pharmacist what to do if contamination or a product problem occurs.
Medicine Safety
Report a Suspected Medicine Side Effect With the Product Details
Prepare useful details for a suspected medicine side-effect report while seeking clinical advice and recognising that a report does not prove the cause.
Medicine at Home
Before Refrigerating a Medicine, Read Its Storage Instructions
Check the label and pharmacist’s advice before putting medicine in a fridge, and ask for product-specific help if its storage conditions were uncertain.
Medicine Labels
Write Down When a Medicine Was Opened, Not Just When It Expires
Keep a medicine’s opening date alongside its labelled expiry and product-specific storage instructions so the usable period is not guessed.
Understanding Medicines
Ask Before Crushing a Tablet to Make It Easier to Swallow
Difficulty swallowing a tablet deserves a pharmacist’s advice. Crushing or opening it can change how a medicine works, even when the ingredient name looks familiar.
Pharmacy Conversations
Grapefruit and Medicines: Ask About the Exact Product
Ask a pharmacist about grapefruit using the exact medicine name and product details, and avoid assuming that changing the time of your drink solves an interaction.