How often have you received medication from your healthcare provider only to return home and be unsure about side effects? Or the right dose? Or the possibility of taking the new medication with other medications you are already using? Do you remember feeling embarrassed or too rushed to clarify any medication instructions or information with your provider?
You’re not the only one who’s experienced this. Nearly half the Americans have a prescription for medicine. More than 20 percent take at least three. According to the National Council on Patient Information and Education, (NCPIE) a majority of patients don’t know the risks of taking certain medicines. Communicating with your healthcare provider about your medication is essential. Too few patients are willing to speak up or know the right questions.
In an effort to open the lines of communication between patients and providers, NCPIE, in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)*, has created the Talk Before You Take campaign, a public education initiative to increase communication about medications between health care professionals and patients.
“Open and effective communication between patients and health care providers is important and helps to ensure patients make informed decisions about their health care and the medicines they take,”Janet Woodcock is the director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The Talk Before You Take campaign provides a list of questions and other resources that can make it easier for patients to talk with their health care providers about medicines.”
Talk Before You Take encourages you to ask your healthcare provider these 10 questions regarding your medication:
1. What is the name of the medicine and its purpose?
2. 2.How and when should I take it? And for how long?
3. What side effects should you expect?
4. Do I need to take this medicine with or without food?
5. Do I need to avoid certain foods, drinks, alcohol, or other medications while on this prescription?
6. 6.
7. This medicine will work with other medications, such as vitamins and supplements, without causing any side effects.
8. How soon should I expect the medicine’s effectiveness to start?
9. How do you store it?
10. Do you have any other written information?
These 10 questions are a great way to stay safe and healthy by asking your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Visit this site for more information www.talkbeforeyoutake.org.
*This work was supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research under grant number 5U18FD004653-03. NCPIE solely controls the content and does NOT necessarily represent the official views and policies of the Food and Drug Administration.
