Medical Mistakes You Can Avoid At Home

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Earlier this year, a rehab provider stated that they have witnessed a 23% increase in the number of people addicted to legal medicines within the last two years. Showing even doctor-approved medicines can be just as dangerous as illegal drugs and if not, more so. As with any prescription or over the counter medicine, there are always risks involved, however, what of the smaller dangers that can often go unnoticed, yet still have damaging effects?

Failure to Complete a Course of Medication

Doctors prescribe medication for a specific period to effectively kill bacteria as quickly as possible. Failure to take medicine for the given amount of time can result in negative consequences. Incomplete administration can encourage bacteria strains to evolve and fight against the antibiotics. For example, the strain of bacteria called MRSA has become so advanced it is now resistant to most antibiotics and is predicted to soon be incurable. Over-prescribing and failure to complete a course of medication means that scientists are constantly innovating and creating new vaccines and medicines to help tackle these ever-evolving viruses.

In an effort to stop bacteria from evolving further, doctors have been told to dramatically reduce over-prescribing antibiotics as part of a crackdown on drug-resistant bacteria. However, a patient can assist in reducing the chance of a condition reoccurring through always fully completing a course of medicine and not taking medicine unnecessarily. Adhering to those two important factors will kill the bacteria, enabling you to get back to full health faster.

Accidental Overdosing

Overdosing is a danger we hear of more frequently in the headlines, with stimulants and opioid painkillers devastatingly taking lives. What many may not be aware of, is that they could be unknowingly overdosing through incorrect self-administration of medical prescriptions or over the counter treatment. For example, a popular alternative for those who struggle to swallow pills is to crush tablets which is extremely dangerous as this action changes the speed of absorption and can be the cause of accidental overdosing.

This can be easily avoided by requesting a liquid medicine version, as this medium provides a safer alternative for those who struggle with tablets. Even so, it is important that the correct tools are utilised for measuring out liquid medicine to avoid any incorrect administration of doses.

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Sharing Medicine

Doctors will often advise what medicine to take based on factors like lifestyle, age, and medical history. These characteristics will also determine the frequency of how often you should take these medicines, which is why you should never share medicine even if you believe you share the same condition. Doing so could cause further medical complications as the user may be unknowingly allergic to an ingredient in the drug.

Furthermore, doctors may prescribe liquid medicine, tablets or ointment that may not be usually used in the way it is administered for. As with some conditions and age groups, there is leeway for oral unlicensed medicines to be used only after an assessment by a GP or pharmacist, which is where medication is prescribed outside of their product licenses. Using this type of medicine makes it more important that they are not shared or abused as the measurements and formulations are tailored specifically for the patient.

Incorrect Storage

Another factor that can impact the effectiveness of a prescription is the way it is stored. It is common to hear of people keeping medical products in the bathroom cupboard, however, because of the rapid changes in temperature, it will easily influence the efficacy of the active ingredients in the prescription. For example, an asthma inhaler can explode when stored in environments that exceed 120 degrees. Although this seems unusually high for a household, even in moderately high temperatures it can cause inhalers to deliver fewer chemicals than when kept at room temperature. This can result in under-dosing and ineffective treatment of symptoms, prolonging a medical condition for longer.

Medical Expiry Dates

It is generally recommended that you should not administer medicine after the expiry date as it may not be as effective and safe as before the expiry date. However, this could be challenged as the US military has been able to save millions each year by continuing to use medicines after their expiration date after the FDA conducted a comprehensive study at their request. Although this study highlights that medicine can be used post-expiration date, doctors will still advise you not to administer out of date medicine as a caution.

With an increase in serious addictions to legal medicines and crackdowns on issuing certain prescriptions, it is important to maintain good health or to recover as soon as possible. It is all too easy to encounter these common dangers when self-administering medication on a frequent basis. However, if you are unsure of how best to store or take your medicine, read the leaflet attached to your medical products or ask your GP or pharmacist for assistance.