Taking medication incorrectly can pose health risks to patients. Pharmacists are the experts in medicines. They are trained to provide patients with competent and comprehensive advice so that their drug therapy works safely, explains the Lower Saxony Chamber of Pharmacists.
Pharmacists warn against private “medication flea markets”
All medicines, not just prescription ones, require pharmaceutical advice. In addition, uncontrolled private trade opens the door to counterfeits. Fake medications may contain the wrong active ingredient or no active ingredient. Or the right active ingredient is contained in the wrong amount. Harmful substances are also possible.
Advice from pharmaceutical experts
In addition to the desired effect, every drug therapy can also have side effects. Taking medication incorrectly can pose health risks for patients. As drug experts, the pharmacists are trained to classify the effects of different medications and to provide patients with competent advice so that their therapy works safely.
Children are not little adults
Not all painkillers available over the counter are suitable for children. The common active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid (ASS), for example, can trigger Reye's syndrome in small children and is therefore only approved for children aged 12 and over. Parents should therefore use the specialist knowledge of pharmacists when selecting the medication and dosage form to ensure the correct and age-appropriate medication.
When taking paracetamol suppositories, parents should be careful not to take a higher-dose suppository that was actually intended for the older sibling or to ensure that suppositories are not given at dosage intervals that are too short. Paracetamol used in excessive doses is harmful to the liver.
Don't just share tablets
Tablets should never be shared without consulting the pharmacy. An indentation on the tablet can be a so-called decorative groove. If a non-divisible tablet is split, the release of the active ingredient can be influenced, which can lead to more side effects, loss of effectiveness or even overdoses.
Risk of confusion in self-medication
Many medications are named after their active ingredient name or even the abbreviation of the active ingredient. It can easily lead to confusion, e.g. B. ASS and ACC. During a consultation, the indication can be quickly clarified and the correct active ingredient can be assigned. The conversation in the pharmacy is also important to protect patients with allergies, as they can react to unknown auxiliary and active ingredients in medications.
Expiry date is not a best-before date
Foods have a best-before date. This means that a food can be kept until at least the stated date, but can still be edible beyond that, although there is no guarantee from the producer. Medicines, on the other hand, have an expiry date. Under no circumstances should they be taken after their expiry date. The expiry date of a drug is part of the approval, is based on numerous scientific studies and is therefore an elementary, legal part of the drug.
Expired medications pose dangers
Many medicines lose their effectiveness after a certain period of time. Juices can “segregate”. Heat and moisture can also harm medications if they are not stored properly. Medicines should always be kept in their original packaging including the instructions leaflet. Leftover antibiotics do not belong in the medicine cabinet and should be disposed of to prevent possible antibiotic resistance. The statement that medicines whose expiry date has already expired can be used “safely” should therefore be viewed very critically.
The Lower Saxony Chamber of Pharmacists has around 7,800 members. The pharmacists are professionally independent healthcare professionals. The legislature has entrusted self-employed pharmacists with the responsibility to provide the population with medicines safely and comprehensively. The job requires a four-year pharmacy degree at a university and a practical year. The students acquire knowledge in pharmaceutical chemistry and biology, technology, pharmacology, toxicology and clinical pharmacy. After the state examination, the pharmacists receive a license to practice medicine. You can only run a public pharmacy with this state license. As specialists in health and prevention, pharmacists provide competent and independent advice to people authorized to practice medicine about medicines and medical devices that are available in pharmacies. Pharmacists provide patients with professional support, human support and thus help to implement the therapy in everyday life.
Source:
German health portal
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