1. By Maher Ishak

2.  Since 1995, Maher Ishak has owned
Woodbury Pharmacy in Highland Mills, New
York, and has served as the managing
pharmacist. Maher Ishak has guided
Woodbury Pharmacy to several nominations
and one award as the best pharmacy in
Orange County.

3.  In avoiding drug interactions, the most important
step a patients can take is to tell doctors and
pharmacists about all the medications and
supplements that they are taking. This includes
vitamin pills and over-the-counter medications,
which can interact with other compounds as
easily as a prescription medication. For example,
a vitamin E supplement, if taken in a sufficiently
large dose, will react with a blood-thinning
medication and can lead to serious internal
bleeding. It is also important for patients to ask
about potential drug interactions with alcohol or
caffeine, as these compounds function like a
drug in the body.

4.  Patients should also ask doctors and pharmacists
if there are any drugs with which the prescription
is known to interact. Some drugs, for example,
react seriously with pain relievers. This could be
an important piece of information should the
patient develop a headache or muscle cramp
while taking the drug. It is best for patients to
ask about potential adverse-drug-reaction (ADR)
warning signs as well, in case of an uncommon
or missed potential interaction. Finally, even if
the patient has asked all the appropriate
questions, he or she should read the entire
medication label before taking a first dose