Although medicine can make you well, it also can harm you if it is not taken the right way. That’s why you need to know all you can about all the medicine you take. While you’re at Great Plains Regional Medical Center, the pharmacy staff is here to make sure that you receive the best and safest medications.
Here are some tips for using your medications safely while you are in the hospital:
Tell your doctor and pharmacist all the medicines you take.
- Bring a medicine list with the names of:
- Medicines prescribed by your doctors.
- Medicines you bought at a drug or grocery store (like medicines for pain or a cold).
- Vitamins, herbs, and nutritional supplements.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist what you can’t take.
- Your medicine list should also include:
- Medicines that you should not take (because of allergies or other problems).
- Other allergies you have (to things like peanuts, shellfish, or latex).
Watch out for:
- Any changes in your medicine when you get your medicines each day, like a different color or shape.
- Any reactions or side effects that the doctor or pharmacist didn’t tell you about.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist:
- The name of any medicine you are given or asked to take.
- About anything that you don’t understand or that doesn’t seem right.
- For information about your medicines in writing.
If you have any questions about your medicine, ask to talk to a pharmacist.
Get help
- Ask a family member or friend to help you. This person can ask questions for you and help you speak up about any concerns you may have.
