Taking your medication as prescribed can sometimes be confusing. To ensure that you understand fully on the best use of your prescription and getting the best benefits from your drug therapy, our team at Laclie Pharmacy has put together a small checklist to help you next time you're at the pharmacy. 

Getting a new prescription filled.

When you bring in a new prescription to be filled, your local pharmacist may ask you a few questions about your medical history to insure that you're getting the most benefits out of your prescription. Asking these question will also ensure that your pharmacist has made the right decision on your prescription to help prevent potential problems.

Here are a few key factors you may need to talk to your pharmacist about: 

• Allergies or intolerances to medications you have taken in the past and the reaction you experienced.  
• Which medical condition your prescription is intended to treat. Some medications can be used for more than one condition.  
• Other medical conditions you may have, as they may be affected by the new prescription. 
• Other medications you are taking, as they may interact with the new prescription. Be sure to mention medications that are not only prescribed by a physician, but also purchased without a prescription.
• Any lifestyle factors, such as consumption of caffeine, food intake, and nicotine and alcohol use, that may affect your medical conditions and the way medications work. 

Picking up your new prescription.

Here are a few question you may want to prepare yourself with when picking up a new prescription: 

• What medical condition is the new medication treating?
• When can you expect to see the benefits of the medication?
• What are the most common side effects of the medication and how can you manage them?
• Can you stop the medication suddenly if you are not tolerating it well?
• How much of the medication are you going to take with each dose?
• How many times should you take the medication every day, what are the best times of day to take the medication, and how many hours apart should each dose be spaced? 
• How much time should you leave before or after your meals to take the medication?  
• What should you do if you forget to take a dose?
• Are there any foods, beverages, or other medications you should avoid while taking this medication? 
• What is the proper way to store your medication? 
• How long should you be taking the medication? 
• When is your next follow-up visit with your physician to see if the medication is working? 

After being discharged from the hospital.

After being recently admitted to the hospital, it is very possible that the medication you have previously been taking may have slight changes for better management to your condition. After you have been discharged, it is very important to inform your pharmacist know of your new and previous medications. This information will help clarify the changes and to explain how your new medications work.

• After being discharged, here are a few topics to talk to your pharmacist about: 
• Medications that have been discontinued (if known), including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal medicines. 
• New medications that have been added.
• Increases or decreases to the doses of your medications. 
• Changes to the way you take your medications.
• Bad reactions, such as side effects or allergies, to medications you took in the hospital.