Why medicines should be taken correctly

Ekurhuleni health practitioners have noticed a trend of some patients claiming that prescribed medicine do not work for them.

This has been attributed to consumption inconsistent with their prescription.

Ekurhuleni chief pharmacist, Mpho Mashego has emphasised the importance of following health care professionals’ instructions when taking medication and not to use medication for any symptom of illness other than the one for which it was prescribed.

“Taking of medicines has become a daily routine for many people and it is important that they accommodate the medicine intake into their habits,” he said.

Mashego has noted that not everyone enjoys the luxury of consulting a private doctor, so it is imperative that patients ask health care professionals or pharmacists to write down medication instructions if it can make it easier to understand their treatment.

Medication are drugs and may be detrimental to good health if taken irregularly, but taking them correctly and understanding the right way to administer them can reduce the risks.

He encouraged patients to pay close attention to the key words that give an indication of how a particular medication is administered, for example whether it is taken orally or through a nasal intake.

This table explains some key words:

Buccal: held inside the cheek

Inhalable: breathed in through a tube or mask

Nasal: given into the nose by spray or pump

Ophthalmic: given into the eye by drops, gel or ointment

Oral: swallowed by mouth as a tablet, capsule, lozenge or liquid

Otic: given by drops into the ear

Rectal: inserted into the rectum

The way medicines are taken is dependent on the part of the body being treated and the way the drug works within the body.