(Drug Interactions first appeared in the Public Opinion Newspaper w in July 2015.)
Paul Berkebile, PharmD, pharmacist and retail pharmacy manager at Keystone Pharmacy in Chambersburg, shares what you need to know about drug interactions.
Drug Interactions
Prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, and supplements can interact with each other. Sometimes one drug can counteract the effects of another and even food can cause interactions. If taking a new drug counteracts the effect of another drug, you might suddenly find that the other drug no longer seems to be effective. In some extreme cases taking certain drugs together can result in extremely serious, potentially fatal situations.
Pharmacy Tools
Pharmacists must be vigilant in monitoring the medications a patient is taking. If the pharmacist doesn’t know about something you are taking, he or she cannot protect you from these interactions. Thanks to technology, pharmacists and other healthcare providers utilize software that warns of any potential interactions or allergies. When we dispense a medication for a patient, this software flags any interactions. Your pharmacist can then assess the situation and talk with the prescriber if necessary.
Experience Helps
In addition, our experience helps us to know what to look for. Many antibiotics can cause stomach upset, so we know to recommend eating a small amount of crackers or other light food with antibiotics if necessary. Recently, I told a patient that her medication can block calcium absorption and I recommended that she talk to her doctor about a calcium supplement. The next time she came in, she told me that she had done this and started taking a supplement.
Supplement Safety
In general most over the counter supplements are safe, but all of us are not alike and will not react to medications the same. Before starting any medication or supplement, it is always a good idea to check with your pharmacist or other health care provider. Because “all natural” has no universally agreed upon definition, this term is meaningless. In my experience, this term is most often used when it is not deserved.
Other Considerations
Because of the multitude of cold, allergy and fever medications, it is easy to inadvertently get too much of a good thing. For example, most all of these medications contain acetaminophen (generic Tylenol). If you take a cold medicine and an allergy medicine, you may be doubling up on your dose of acetaminophen. Prolonged use of excessive amounts of acetaminophen can cause liver failure and kills many people every year. Always read the label on the medications that you are taking.
