| - Maintain ongoing communications among you, your Doctor and your Pharmacy
- Medications are accurately labeled and match information from your Doctor
- Ask for medication directions to be printed in larger print if difficult to read
- Physician is notified of medication misuse or inappropriate use
- All medications administered are current
- Know what each medication is, why taking, how often, and when to take
- Use only one Pharmacy that maintains current medication records, coordinating and comparing medications when you have more than one Doctor
- Ask for easy-off prescription bottle caps, NOT childproof bottle caps
- Receive written and verbal drug information with each prescription filled
- Know which medications can be crushed or split
- Don't stop taking medications with the Doctors approval if symptoms disappear
- Never take other peoples medications
- Keep copy of prescription insurance card readily available
- Make Pharmacy aware of any status changes as they occur: address, phone, insurance, Doctor
- Have prescriptions refilled far enough in advance to avoid running out
- Examine medications when picking them up or before taking them to ensure that they are the same size, shape, color and integrity as before
- Know what each of your medications look like
- Check for capsules and tablets that differ in any way from the others in the bottle
- Is the dosage the same as the previous batch, checking for the prescribed number of pills and strength
- If the pills are now a generic brand, as the Pharmacist if they are exactly like the pill originally prescribed
- Did your Doctor approve generic substitution
- When traveling, ask your Pharmacist if you should adjust medication schedules to account for time changes, routine, or diet
- Carry your Pharmacist and Doctors phone numbers with you at all time
- Carry your medications with you on board if flying, never pack in checked luggage
- Review ALL your medications with your Doctor and Pharmacist at least once a year: prescriptions, non-prescriptions, herbals, dietary supplements and any other types of medications you are taking
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