Medication guidelines
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Medication guidelines
The following are basic guidelines for taking prescription and nonprescription medicines:
- Use medicines only if nondrug approaches are not working.
- Know the benefits and side effects of a medicine before taking it.
- Take the minimum effective dose.
- Never take a drug prescribed for someone else.
- Follow the prescription instructions exactly or let your doctor know why you didn't.
- Keep medicines tightly capped in their original containers, and store them as directed.
- Don't take medicines in front of small children. Children are great mimics. Don't oversell the "candy" taste of children's medicines or leave children's vitamins within their reach.
- Ask your doctor what medicines may not be safe to give your child.
- Add a consumer's guide to medicines to your home health library.
Credits
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 1, 2008 |
| Last updated: | May 01, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine, Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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