Contents
WDay.ru found out what you need to know when going to the pharmacy.
Find a medicine at the pharmacy
Pronounce the name of the medicine correctly
When asking for a remedy, try to pronounce its name clearly and, most importantly, correctly. There are many more drugs than we can imagine, and the often mispronounced word can also be misinterpreted by pharmacists. For example, there is Viprosal ointment, and there is Vipsogal. Sometimes even pharmacists confuse their names.
Victoria (35 years old), Moscow
“Cases of confusion in the pharmacy happen all the time. The most memorable one happened to my mother when she managed to confuse panadol (a paracetamol-containing drug, antipyretic, analgesic) and papazol (an antispasmodic containing papaverine hydrochloride and dibazol). The latter is often used by hypertensive patients, but we just needed to remove the fever. Since the funds bought at the pharmacy cannot be returned or exchanged, we had to buy the necessary product again ”.
Read the instructions carefully.
Be sure to take the instructions for the drug! So you can immediately find out its features and, if necessary, consult with a pharmacist about purchasing additional drugs.
Compare the name of the medicine on the package with what is written on the prescription
Many doctors do not write the name of the prescription itself. , but the active component. Pay attention to this and when choosing, carefully compare the name of the drug in the prescription and on the package.
In the pharmacy
Before buying any product of your choice, be sure to tell the pharmacist for whom it is being purchased:
for a child (tell me what age);
for a pregnant or lactating woman;
for an elderly person.
If the person who was prescribed the medicine has serious illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, liver or kidney disease, be sure to provide this information.
You can even consult a pharmacist by phone.
When choosing analogue products, rely on quality
Sometimes pharmacists offer several medicines to choose from. Some of them are cheaper, others are more expensive. Preparations of large manufacturers, as a rule, contain more purified components, taking such agents is easier to tolerate and less likely to provoke allergies. A large list of side effects in this case only says that you are facing a conscientious and responsible manufacturer. These indicate information in the instructions about any effects, even if the cases were isolated.
Svetlana (28 years old), Vladimir
“The doctor recommended that I purchase a certain hormonal agent. It was produced in Germany. So, on the package it was indicated that when taking the pills, an unpleasant sensation from the lenses may occur. Such detailed information in the annotation surprised me, but I realized that these manufacturers had done all possible research before releasing the product on the market. “
Be attentive to the choice of medicines in ampoules
Inspect the packaging for its integrity, check if there is a cutter inside (for opening ampoules), sometimes they fall out of the packs. If there is no cutter in the package, ask the pharmacist for a new one. The same is true if you do not take a full pack, but several ampoules.
Mandatory conditions
Check the expiration date
Follow your doctor’s recommendations carefully
Do not give medicines to others or take medicines that are not prescribed to you. You should always make sure that you are taking the medication you are prescribed.
Do not store the medicine for longer than the time of use.