On any regular night, consumers are inundated with television commercials for prescription drugs, each promising to relieve, cure or prevent some ailment or condition. At the end of each commercial, usually a fast-talking announcer lists all of the potential side effects of the drug.

While the announcer may breeze over these side effects, this portion of the commercial is the most important part. Before taking any prescribed or over-the-counter medication, patients should understand the intended use of and potential side effects of the drug.

Patients can do this through a couple of means – by conducting research on a well-known and reliable medical website, or by consulting their physician or pharmacist. Either way, both of these actions begin with the patient taking a proactive stance with his or her health.

“I think one of the most significant ways to ensure medication safety is for a patient to take ownership of their own medical care,” says Dave Keenan, director of Pharmacy Services for Crozer-Keystone. “Clearly, the internet has now become a viable resource for information for consumers about different medications, including their side effects, their ingredients and the possibility of harmful interactions if mixed with other drugs.”

Keenan recommends www.webmd.com and www.aarp.org as two reliable sites that offer this type of information. In addition, a person could consult the drug’s brand name website for information. For instance, www.tylenol.com, provides information on all of Tylenol’s products for consumers.

Read the Label

While convenient, surfing the web is not the only way to find information. For over-the-counter (OTC) medication, it’s as simple as reading the label, says Lloyd Feigenbaum, M.D., director of the Emergency Department at Springfield Hospital.

“Unfortunately, for the most part, patients aren’t the active participants in their own healthcare as they should be,” says Feigenbaum. “They should be reading labels on all OTC medications to make sure they aren’t taking the same ingredient as something they are already taking. Many OTC drugs contain the same ingredient such as acetaminophen, which is in Tylenol and other OTC medications.”

Keenan points out that reading the label can also prevent a person from picking out a drug that does not provide the type of outcome the patient wants.

“Occasionally, a person will be searching for a pain reliever, and will pick up a drug based solely on the brand name, without reading the product information for the drug,” Keenan says.

For an example, Keenan cites Tylenol P.M. and regular Tylenol. Tylenol P.M. is designed as sleep aid, and contains Diphenhydramine HCl, which can cause drowsiness. A person looking for relief of a headache in the middle of the day would not want to take Tylenol P.M. But, Keenan says, because of the brand recognition, many people immediately associate anything with Tylenol on it as a pain reliever, and will buy a drug without ensuring it is suited for their needs.

Talk to an Expert

If reading the label or consulting the web still leaves unanswered questions, consult your physician or your local pharmacist. “If a person has any questions at all, he or she should consult their pharmacist,” says John Reilly, D.O, chairman of the department of Emergency Medicine for Delaware County Memorial Hospital. “For patients, the smartest thing for them to do is to read the drug information before they leave the pharmacy, so they can address any questions with their pharmacist before taking the drug.”

Pharmacists, in addition to answering questions about prescribed and OTC medications, can also ensure that there are no harmful drug interactions between two prescribed medications.

“Coumadin, an anti-coagulant used to prevent and treat harmful blood clots, is a commonly prescribed drug that must be carefully monitored to make sure a balance is maintained between preventing clots and causing excessive bleeding,” says Victor A. Heresniak, D.O., chairman of the department of Emergency Medicine at Crozer-Chester Medical Center. “Several factors, including other medications, can affect this balance and can pose a serious health risk to the patient.”

When a pharmacist goes to fill a new prescription, there are checks in place to ensure the pharmacist is made aware of any potential harmful drug interactions that could occur with a drug like Coumadin, and current prescriptions the patient is already taking.

Keenan says that as a way to help people taking Coumadin, Crozer-Keystone pharmacies have designated times for a Coumadin clinic where the PT/INR test is offered to people on the drug. The PT/INR test evaluates the ability of blood to clot properly and can assess both bleeding and clotting tendencies, and can assure there is only the prescribed amount of Coumadin in the body.

Pharmacists and physicians can also alleviate some of the misconceptions about certain drugs.

“Some people will list they are allergic to a medication like penicillin, when actually it’s a side effect that the patient has experienced in the past, not an allergic reaction,” says Gregory Cuculino, M.D., chairman of the department of Emergency Medicine for Taylor Hospital. “A true allergy consists of hives, shortness of breath, and swelling of the tongue - anything that compromises that person’s ability to breath. Things like nausea and vomiting are generally side effects, and while may be uncomfortable for the patient, are usually not serious. To be safe, always review the side effects of the drug before taking it, and if you have questions, consult your physician or pharmacist for clarification.”

“It is important to understand the potential side effects of an antibiotic you may have been prescribed to take,” adds Reilly. “You don’t want to exclude yourself from taking a medication that could be helpful because you think you’re allergic to it.”

In addition to asking questions, doctors also recommend patients take another pro-active approach and keep a list of all prescribed medications being taken. “Patients should keep and bring with them a list of all of their medication to the doctor or the ER, so that a physician who may not know them will at least be able to avoid any potential side effects or interactions,” says Feigenbaum.

In addition to prescribed and OTC medications, Keenan also recommends listing any vitamin or herbal supplements, which can also react with certain drugs.