European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 28, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday september 28,1977 the stars and stripes Page 19 Modem living the great american Pill Box Sas Candy or Medicine the danger is a child May not know the difference. By Jane e. Brody new York times americans Swallow nearly 40 billion doses of tablets capsules elixirs and other medicinal potions each year. The average doctor writes nearly 8,000 prescriptions a year choosing from among 1,200 prescription drugs 2,500 different Brand names. Seven prescriptions a year Are filled for every Man woman and child. On top of that americans dose themselves with Vari Ous combinations of the 250,000 to 500,000 Over the coun Ter remedies that Are part of the american penchant to solve every problem with a Pill. Americans take medi Cines for headache birth control upset stomach anxiety colds allergies sleeplessness and somnolence often washing it All Down with another popular drug alcohol. Yet while Many know firsthand of the Relief and Healing that drugs can bring few realize the extent of their potential dangers. In some cases the cure can be far worse than the disease. Every drug even aspirin or an antacid can some times cause unwanted Side effects. Drugs can also inter act with one another or with certain foods or drinks to cause serious reactions. Each year 300,000 americans suffer such severe Adverse drug reactions that they have to be hospitalized and 18,000 patients who Are Given drugs while in the Hospital die from the Side effects of their medication. In addition Many patients fail to get the full if any Benefit from the drugs they take either because no drug was needed to begin with or because the wrong drug was prescribed or because the drug was taken improperly. Thus they face the risk of an Adverse reaction without any compensating Benefit. For example an estimated 10,000 americans annually suffer life threatening reactions from antibiotics that were needlessly prescribed. You can help to protect yourself and your family from such risks by gaining a healthy respect for the potential hazards As Well As the benefits of drugs and by learning what to Tell your doctor about you and what questions to ask him about the drugs he prescribes. The following guidelines have been suggested by Vari Ous physicians and pharmacists medical organizations and consumer groups. % ask your doctor the purpose of his prescription. The doctor should Tell you his diagnosis of your condition How he arrived at it and How his prescription might be expected to help you. For example if you have a sore Throat the doctor should take a Throat culture to determine the cause before prescribing an Antibiotic since antibiotics Are useless against virus infections the most common cause of sore throats. % no matter How sick you May feel Don t pressure the doctor into giving you a prescription if he thinks none is needed. Sometimes the Best Medicine is none at All. But you have a right to ask the doctor the reason for his decision.0ask the name of the drug and what Side effects it might have. While the doctor can t be expected to Tell you every last Adverse reaction that has been reported he can and should Tell you the More common Side effects patients experience including possible alarm ing effects such As the fact that a drug May turn your urine Blue that May or May not cause physical discomfort. You should know what Side effects to report to the doctor and when. Some drugs antibiotics in particular can cause life threatening allergic reactions and the doctor should ask you in Advance of writing the prescription whether you have had any bad reactions to similar drugs in the past. If you have unpleasant effects from one drug the doctor can often substitute another equally effective drug that causes you Little or no difficulty. I find out precisely How the drug should be taken and what if any precautions you should follow in taking it. Too often the doctor rattles off instructions which the patient Only half hears or completely misunderstands then he writes some hieroglyphic on a prescription Blank and the patient leaves the office wondering am i supposed to take two pills a Day for three weeks or three pills a Day for two weeks before meals or after meals take As directed is hardly helpful if you never knew or have forgotten the directions. The activity of some drugs is reduced by the presence of food in the stomach or too much water or juice so it is important to know when in relation to meals the drug should be taken. Also some drugs interact with certain foods alcohol and other drugs producing a toxic reaction or cancelling out the drug s effect. You should know what if anything to avoid while taking the drug. For example milk reduces the effectiveness of the Antibiotic tetracycline. Antidepressants can react with a substance in cheese wine and other foods to cause a potentially life threatening reaction. Anticoagulants May interact with a variety of drugs including some antibiotics to produce an in pru6 culture handed blood thinning effect that could result in Haemorrhage. 9 the doctor should Tell you when to expect some results from the medication and How soon to Call him if no improvement occurs. He May want to substitute a More effective drug or reconsider his diagnosis. Make sure you ask him if you will need another appointment to find out if your ailment has cleared up or improved. 9 be sure to take the medication your doctor prescribes according to the schedule amount and time designated. As Many As half of patients fail to take their prescriptions at All and another Large proportion take them sporadically or Stop too soon. A drug May do Little Good unless a certain amount is present in your blood and tissues at All times. In the Case of a bacterial infection you May feel Well after a few Days on an Antibiotic but to destroy the organisms completely and prevent a recurrence you May have to take the drug for Days or weeks longer. % Don t take drugs that were left Over from a previous illness or that were prescribed for someone else unless the doctor tells you to. Many drugs lose effectiveness during storage the dosage May be inappropriate or the drug May have been Safe for the person it was prescribed for but hazardous for you. 0 even if he does t ask give your doctor the facts he needs to write a rational prescription. Are you preg Nant Many drug can damage the unborn child ? what other drugs including Over the counter Prepa rations do you take have you had a bad drug reaction in the past do you have any chronic illnesses such As heart or kidney disease or have you had past illnesses such As hepatitis that could be complicated by a drug do you drink alcoholic beverages 9 take care in storing your drugs. Although most people have their Medicine Chest in the bathroom this is actually the worst possible room in which to keep drugs. The heat and humidity can cause rapid deterioration of Many drugs. Choose a Cool dry place out of direct Light or Sun. Many drugs have expiration dates so be sure to Check How Long a drug May be kept. And if you have Young children in the House be sure that All medications Are in child proof containers and that you re place the tops properly each time. 9 take advantage of the various aids that can inform you about the drugs you May take. A number of books and guides have been published recently that explain in Layman s terms the essential facts about widely used drugs. One of the Best of these is a pharmacy handbook for Consumers called your prescription and. You by Steven Strauss a doctor of pharmacy from Long Island University. The Federal food and drug administration is in the process of reviewing the safety and effectiveness of the Many thousands of Over the counter medications that May befuddle Consumers. Watch for the periodic reports of verdicts reached by the 17 Fra panels. They have already raised serious questions about the effectiveness of Over the counter sleep aids the safety of antacids and Antidia Rheal drugs and the Wisdom of combination analgesics. The Fra is also preparing patient package inserts to describe the effects precautions and Side effects of prescription drugs. These inserts Are now mandatory for Oral contraceptives and hearing aids and will soon be needed for All oestrogen and progestin drugs and for Iljas. Ask for these inserts