Taking medication

What is medication?

Medication helps you to get well or stay well. They can help to cure illnesses. Or to alleviate symptoms.

There are various types of medication. For example, tablets that you take by mouth. Or ointments that you apply to the skin.

You can obtain medication from the pharmacy. You need a prescription for some medicines. You can also buy some without a prescription.

The medicines are usually packed in a small cardboard box. In addition to the medication, you will also find an instruction leaflet.

You may still be unsure about how to take the medication. In this case, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

What is important when taking an antibiotic?

Antibiotics are a special form of medication. You need to be particularly careful when taking an antibiotic.

An antibiotic helps with illnesses caused by bacteria. Bacteria are pathogens. An antibiotic helps the immune system to kill the bacteria. You will then recover more quickly.

Antibiotics do not help with illnesses caused by viruses. Viruses are also pathogens. But they work differently to bacteria.

You can only get an antibiotic if a doctor prescribes it. The doctor will explain to you exactly how to take the antibiotic.

It is very important that you follow the doctor’s instructions exactly. For example, how long or how often you should take the antibiotic.

You should also not take an antibiotic too often. And in any case, you should only take an antibiotic when the doctor says so.

This is important because there are also many bacteria that are good. They can be found on the skin or mucous membranes, for example.

An antibiotic does not know which bacteria are good and which are bad. That is why it also kills the good bacteria. Ask your doctor if you are unsure about taking antibiotics.

What do you need to know about oral medication?

Medication comes in many different forms. In particular, there are medicines that you take by mouth. We would like to explain some of them to you.

There are tablets, for example. These are solid medicines that can come in different shapes, colours and sizes.
Some tablets have to be swallowed with water, others chewed or sucked. Some also need to be dissolved in water beforehand.

You will find all the important instructions on the package leaflet.

Some tablets have so-called break notches. However, you must not break all tablets at the notch. This can cause the medicine to work differently.

You may only divide a tablet if this is stated in the package leaflet. It is best to ask at the pharmacy.
In addition to tablets, there are also capsules. Capsules consist of two parts. There is a shell on the outside and the active ingredient in the shell.

Many capsules have to be swallowed whole. The shell then dissolves in the stomach. Some also need to be chewed before swallowing.

Some medicines are in powder form. You usually have to dissolve the powder in water and then drink it.
Medication in drop form is also usually added to water. You have to count the drops carefully so that you don’t take too much or too little.

Sometimes the medicine is already dissolved in water when you buy it. This is then called juice.

What do you need to know about medications to apply to the skin?

There are also many different medications that you apply to the skin. We want to explain some of them to you.
Some medications that you apply to the skin consist largely of fats. These are ointments or pastes, for example.

Then there are mixtures of water and fats. These are creams and lotions, for example.

Gels are a special form of cream. Gels are often used to relieve pain or soothe itching.

There are also plasters that contain medication. The plasters release the medication into the body over a longer period of time.

What helps you to remember your medication?

It is important that you take your medication regularly. Some medicines should always be taken at the same time. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how to take the medication.

It can help if you always take your medication when you are doing a certain daily task.
For example, you can always take your medication when you brush your teeth. Or when you set your alarm clock for the next day.

You can also put a note on the fridge or in another place. This can remind you to take it.

It is also possible for your smartphone to remind you. To do this, you can save a reminder or enter the times in your calendar.

If you find it difficult on your own, other people can also help you. Perhaps a family member can remind you to take your medication.

There is also the option of having a carer look after your medication every day. The carer can sort your medication into clear containers.

If you need help from a carer, talk to your doctor about it. They can help you.

What are drug interactions?

If you take medication, it may interact with other substances. Other substances can be other medicines, food or alcohol, for example.

Interaction means that the medication and the other substance influence each other. The medication then sometimes has a different effect than it should.

It can therefore happen that the medication has a stronger effect. The medication may also have a weaker effect or not work at all.
Sometimes pain or other symptoms may also occur. In this case, be sure to talk to your doctor.

There are a few things you can do to avoid interactions.

Always take the medication as your doctor tells you. If you are unsure, the doctor can give you a medication plan.

You should always tell the doctor exactly what medication you are taking. This also includes over-the-counter medication or vitamin tablets.

If you are taking medication, you should not drink alcohol.

You can also use the Internet to find out what interactions may occur between your medications. There are special programmes that check the interactions.

However, the information on the Internet is sometimes incomplete or inaccurate. It is always safer to talk to your doctor about the interactions.

How do you keep track of your medication?

Sometimes it can be difficult to keep track of your medication. This is particularly the case if you have to take many different medications.

There are special containers for your medication for this purpose. These are called medication dispensers or weekly dosettes, for example.

You can store your medication for a whole week in these medication dispensers. There is a small container for each day of the week.

Each container for the day of the week also has a compartment for each time of day. So there are compartments for morning, noon, evening and night.

It can help if you organise your medication in them on a fixed day of the week each week.

It is also good if you have a piece of paper with all your medication written on it. This is called a medication plan.

If you have been prescribed more than three medications by your doctor, the doctor must issue you with a medication plan.
The plan will tell you, for example, what your medication is called and how often you should take it.