5 Questions to ask when you get your Medicine

Every time when you buy your medicine from pharmacies or clinics, have your ever wonder, "WHAT IS THIS?" ?

How often do you really take the trouble to ask the dispenser or the pharmacist anything about the medicine or health care product that you bought or prescribed? I doubt.

In Malaysia, a funny situation is that everyone will think that the doctors are always right and unquestionable, which to me sounds stupid. Normally, medicine bought from hospitals will be attached with proper labels including name, dosage and sometimes with special precautions. But, what about private clinics which contribute a significant proportion of health care industry in Malaysia? I am sure many will agree with me that private clinics provide neither medications with proper labellings nor basic counsellings regarding the medications.

There are 5 important questions to ask whenever you buy your medicine from pharmacy or clinics or hospitals:

1. What is the name of the medicine and what is it use for ?
eg: Claritin (loratidine) 10mg, relieve of seasonal allergic rhinitis or better known as runny nose by Malaysian.

2. When and how should I to take it?
eg: Claritine should be taken one tablet daily. Some medication is not taken through oral route.

3. Is there any special diet restriction/drug interations with other medicine?
eg: Claritine should be taken with empty stomach and is generally safe with most other medicine.

4. Is there any side effects that I should know? If yes, what should i do when I encounter those side effects?
eg: Every single medicine has side effects. How ever, only those which are related to us that should we know. No pharmacist will tell you the whole list of medicine side effects which will probably scare you off by then.

5. Can I get the product information leaflet?
It is generally considered the right of us as consumers to ask for the product information, so don't hesitate to ask one from the pharmacist of the dispenser when you buy your medicine.

I am sure that you will be benefited from these 5 questions. So, make sure you remember these 5 questions and ask your pharmacist or doctors when you are prescribed with a whole bunch of medications.