The document provides information for patients to discuss with their pharmacist when getting a new prescription filled or taking multiple medications. It recommends asking the pharmacist to: 1) Explain the medication in your native language, check for all current prescriptions, and explain administration details like dosage, timing and storage. 2) Discuss possible side effects both common and serious, as well as how to take multiple medications safely. 3) Provide guidance on safely storing and disposing of medications, and interacting foods or other substances.

1. Ask your pharmacist
General,
• Firstly ask the pharmacist to explain in your mother tongue
• Check with your pharmacist to see if your record contains all your current prescriptions.
• Then ask route of administration, time of administration, duration, storage conditions
About side effects,
• Common drugs are addictive narcotics that can impair brain function, cause mood swings
• Possible short term drug side effects like vivid dreams, night mares, headache, vomiting,
abdominal pain
• If you take multiple medications, ask the pharmacist to make a schedule for when and in
what order to take them.
• Ask for Proper combination of drugs because some medicines are interact with other
medicines so they don’t work as well as / unpleasant / harmful effects
• If any side effects of intake drugs which are prescribe for adults in children’s
• If drug is not suitable ask the pharmacist to change the medicine.
About safety of drugs,
• Some medicines can also interact with foods so ask which foods to avoid while taking the
medicines or do I take it on an empty stomach?
• Can this medicine be used safely with the other medicines and treatments I already use?
• If you have ever had a bad reaction or an allergy to a drug, or there are changes to your
medical condition, tell your doctor and pharmacist and make certain this information is in
your file.

2.  Trouble swallowing my pills. Can I crush my medications?
 To prevent accidental poisoning ask correctly which type of storage need the particular drugs.
Storing and Disposing of your Medications
 Keep your medication in the original container with the cap closed.
 Keep medications in a dry, cool place out of sunlight. (The heat and moisture of a bathroom could damage them.)
Remember to put medicines out of sight and reach of children and pets.
 Don’t store medicine with food or household products. Refrigerate only if it says so on the label.
 Check expiration dates. Don’t use prescription or othe-counter drugs, vitamins or herbal remedies past their expiration
date.
 Clear out your medicine cabinet at least once a year. Dispose of medicines that are old, no longer in their original
containers, with illegible labels, that have changed colour, smell or taste.
 Don’t throw medicine in the garbage — children or animals may get into it. Don’t flush medicine down the toilet — it’s
not good for the environment.
 Gather all unused and expired drugs, vitamins and herbal remedies and bring them to your local pharmacy for disposal.
 Ask how to dispose old medicines and expired medicines because contact of old/expired medicines with new drugs they
spoiled.
V.BOBBY,
KRISHNA TEJA PHARMACY COLLEGE,
TIRUPATI.

3. Common side effects
ALLERGY Side Effects Serious allergic reactions & Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat
Difficulty breathing & Difficulty swallowing
BLOOD Side Effects Anemia / Decreased levels of potassium / Decreased levels of sodium / Dizziness / Excessive bleeding (sometimes
fatal) / Facial flushing / Fainting (syncope) /Fast heartbeat (tachycardia) /Heart attack/High blood pressure
Increased levels of potassium / Low blood pressure (hypotension) /Low blood cell counts/Palpitations /Perpetual
erection (priapism) /Postural hypotension/ Slow heartbeat (bradycardia) /Thrombosis (clotting)
BONE Side Effects Bone loss & Bone pain
BRAIN Side Effects Amnesia / Dizziness (vertigo) / Seizures / Speech disorder / Stroke / Transient ischemic atychosis / epilepsy
GASTRO-INTESTINAL Abdominal pain / Colitis / Constipation / Diarrhea / Dry mouth / Dyspepsia / Intestinal bleeding / Nausea / Rectal
Side Effects bleeding / Stomach bleeding / Stomach pain / Upset Stomach (indigestion) / Vomiting
INTERACTION Side effects Drug and drug interactions / Food and drug interactions
LIVER/ KIDNEY Side Effects Acute kidney failure / Chronic kidney failure / Hepatitus / Jaundice / Liver damage
MENTAL Side Effects Aggression / Agitation / Anxiety / Confusion / Depression / Hallucinations / Hostile / Hyperactive / Impulsive / Irritable
/ Panicky / Personality disorder / Overly excited / Severely restless (akathisia) / Sleeplessness (insomnia) / Suicide /
Weakness
SKIN Side Effects Allergic reaction / Itching / Skin rash / Severe skin reactions / Sweating
SENSES Side Effects Blindness / Blurred vision / Colored vision / Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) / Tingling sensation(paresthesia)
PAIN Side Effects Abdominal pain / Bone pain / Breast pain / Chest pain (angina) / Headache / Heartburn / Joint pain / Leg cramps /
Painful menstruation / Vaginitis
LUNGS (Pulmonary Side Cold symptoms / Cough / Flu-like symptoms / Lower respiratory infection / Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) /
Effects) Pulmonary thrombosis / Shortness of breath (dyspnea) / Sore throat / Upper respiratory infection
MUSCULAR Side Effects Back pain / Leg cramps / Muscle pain / Shakiness (tremor) / Spasm / Tiredness / Swelling of legs and feet /
Unexplained muscle pain / Weakness
OTHER DRUG Side Effects Diabetes mellitus / Hair loss / Frequent urination / Hyperglycemia / Ketoacidosis / Loss of appetite / Pancreatitis /
Urinary tract infection / Weight gain / Weight loss