Medication is a huge business in the United States and other parts of the world. Billions of individuals bring home prescriptions every year and although there are explicit instructions and information given with each prescription, people don’t always adhere to it.

If you expect a medication to help you or to do what it’s designed to do, you must use it properly. When individuals skip doses, double up later or just don’t take it all, the medication is compromised and so is your health.

Local pharmacist Joanna Hershberger, of Mast Pharmacy, said the biggest mistake she sees with medication is the failure to take it properly.

“I think the biggest mistake many people make is not taking medicine according to their doctor’s instructions,” Hershberger explained. “Missing a dose once in a while is an easy mistake, but the bigger problem is intentionally skipping doses because you feel fine without it or taking more of a medication than prescribed in an attempt to feel better.”

Hershberger said that paying attention to your body and how it feels is very important in being proactive about your health. However, there are many diseases that have symptoms which cannot be “felt” until they are dangerously out of control.

“Elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, for instance, can wreak havoc inside the body even without any immediately noticeable outward signs,” she said. “Taking medication every day as your doctor intended is extremely important in keeping these diseases under control and preventing future complications.”

In addition to maintenance type medications, which are designed to maintain an adverse situation that affects your health, antibiotics are another group of medications that can be used incorrectly.

“Antibiotics are another commonly misused class of medications,” Hershberger said. “Many people don’t understand the need to continue taking them once they feel better. However, not taking an antibiotic for the full course of therapy can lead to recurrent infections and increasingly resistant bacteria.”

Not taking all the medication prescribed for you is one side of the issue. However, Hershberger said that taking more than what’s prescribed is another.

“The other side of this issue is taking more than the prescribed amount of a medication, like antidepressants, anti-anxiety, and pain medications in order to feel better,” she said. “Many psychiatric drugs need to establish a steady level in the body to be most effective, which does not happen when varying doses are taken. Also, in taking extra medication, you are often risking more side effects and possibly dependence without really improving the underlying problem.”

Sometimes individuals mix-up medications or take the wrong prescription at the wrong time. Anyone can make a mistake like this if they aren’t careful. But there are things people can do to safeguard themselves against medication errors. Hershberger said the best thing to do is stay informed and ask questions.

“The best thing a person can do to prevent most mix-ups is to stay informed about their conditions and medications, and often the best way to do that is to ask questions,” Hershberger said. “Just knowing that you take your little yellow pill every morning because the doctor told you to is simply not sufficient. As hard as we try to be perfect in our patient care, every health care professional is human and therefore prone to make mistakes. But if you know the names of your medications, doses, what they are used for, and how you take them, you will know if something doesn’t match up.”

Hershberger also said the more informed you are about your medications, the more likely you are to recognize side effects and prevent drug interactions.

“You would be quicker to realize that your nagging cough may not just be a common cold, but could be a side effect of your blood pressure medication,” she said, “or that you should start replacing your morning glass of grapefruit juice with orange juice due to the potential interaction between your cholesterol medicine and grapefruit. We try to provide people with as much of this important information as we can, but unfortunately it is impossible to tell everyone everything all of the time. The more knowledgeable a person chooses to be about their own health, the better they and their health care team can take care of them.”

There are also extra things you can do if you’re elderly that may help alleviate mistakes with medication. Hershberger said the most practical option is a weekly pill box because it’s easier to organize the medications according to their dosing schedules. These organizers help keep all meds on track and even allow you to organize which medications you need to take with food.

“The organizers are convenient for elderly patients, too, because often a child, spouse, or neighbor can provide help refilling the box each week if needed,” Hershberger said. “Also, some pharmacies are able to “bubble pack” prescriptions so that each dose can be punched out at the appropriate time. In some cases, of course, the most effective option is to enlist the help of a family member, friend, or aide to ensure that all medications are taken properly.”

Above all, Hershberger said, “don’t ever be afraid to talk to your pharmacist if you have a question.

“A pharmacist is the most easily accessible health care professional,” Hershberger said. “You don’t have to make an appointment or pay a fee to talk to one and we know the importance of information in the world of health care. Pharmacists are trained to counsel patients about medications and diseases and this is a great tool for preventing medicine mistakes and promoting general health. We cannot replace your doctor but, hopefully, we can give you information to keep you healthy so you can see them less often.”