It is important to note that ‘YOU’ play a major role when it comes to ensuring your own safety while taking any medicines. Discussing with health professionals such as doctor, pharmacists helps give them insight on what to prescribe and they in turn can guide you on how to take prescribed medicines appropriately.
STEPS TO TAKE
- Understand your own e.g. how you feel after taking a drug; known allergies and how you feel about coming to the hospital.
- Share your medical history with your doctor or pharmacist, if you abused drugs or alcohol in the past or if you have any medical condition.
- Let the doctor know if you have or have had any adverse reaction to any drug
- Discuss any physical disability with your doctor, no matter how uncomfortable it be.
- Observe results after taking a particular medicine and let your doctor know.
Optimising Benefits and Risks
Medicines have their benefits and risks; in as much as you can benefit from them you need to learn how to mitigate or avoid adverse reactions.
STEPS TO TAKE
- Be very observant to any slight changes that occur to you physically and emotionally
- Communicate your observations (good or bad) to your doctor
- If you notice any adverse reaction, seek the advice of a health professional immediately
Safety Use of Timeline
Fidson has an ethical and regulatory obligation to monitor the safety of medicines produced and sold throughout the lifetime of the medicine. In addition to stipulated guidelines set out by health and safety specialists and regulatory bodies, Fidson periodically conducts Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) to ensure that products available for sale are suitable for use by the consumer.
Pharmaceutical products have batch details – manufacturing date, expiry date and batch numbers indicated on the product packaging – inner and outer.
Please carefully read the information related to batch details carefully prior to using any medicines. Refer to ‘the medicine use and safety page’ for more details.
Self Medication
Self-medication is the use of medicines without proper professional advice from your doctor or pharmacist. This has become common practice amongst people around the world, which has caused more harm than good.
The disadvantages of self-medication include:
- Incorrect self-diagnosis
- Delay in seeking appropriate medical advice when needed
- Infrequent but severe adverse reactions
- Dangerous drug interactions
- Incorrect manner of administration
- Incorrect dosage
- Incorrect choice of therapy
- Masking of a severe disease
- Risk of dependence and abuse
- Antimicrobial resistance – World Health Organisation defines antimicrobial resistance as the ability of a microorganism (such as a bacterium, fungus, virus or parasite) to resist the effect of medication previously used to treat an infection caused by that organism. When people use antimicrobial drugs at low doses and inappropriately it could make the microorganism develop resistance to the effect of the drugs. Counterfeit medicine also contributes to the problem of antibiotic resistance due to insufficient quantities of active ingredient in the medicine.
PREVENTION OF SELF MEDICATION
- Consult a doctor before taking any medication
- Always go for medical check-up so as to know your health status
- If you’ve become addicted to self-medication, seek help through your doctor
Adherence to Dosage
Adherence means taking your drugs exactly as recommended on product packaging or as prescribed by your doctor. This includes taking the appropriate dose of medicine at the right time and adhering to special diet restrictions.
HOW TO ADHERE TO DOSAGE
- Listen carefully to instruction given by your doctor or pharmacist
- Always carefully read instructions on medicine pack or prescriptions provided by your pharmacist
- If you notice any adverse reaction, discuss with your doctor immediately
- Set reminders for the time to take your medicines