How many times has this happened to you? It’s happened to me twice already this morning, and it’s not even lunchtime:
Doctor: Do you take any medications?
Patient: Sure.
Doctor: What medications do you take?
Patient: That one you prescribed. No, wait. That other doctor gave it to me. It’s that blue pill, you know. I take it for my, ah what do you call it? My sugar.
Doctor: Are you diabetic?
Patient: I think so.
Doctor: Do you remember the name of the pill at all? If I said the name would you know it?
Patient: I don’t think so. Maybe it was yellow . . .
I am of the opinion that if you’re putting something in your mouth you ought to know what it is. However, I also recognize that if you’re not a health care provider or pharmacist, names like “cyclobenzaprine”, “triamcinolone”, and “aripipirazole” don’t flow right off the tongue. I have two bits of important advice, speaking as somebody who could inadvertently make you very sick by prescribing something that doesn’t play well with something you’re already taking:
- If you can’t remember your medication name, write it down and keep it with you. Your mom and/or your doctor might not be with you when you most need to know your medications (not to mention your chronic health issues and drug allergies), like in the emergency room at 3am.
- Check out Pillbox at the National Library of Medicine when you need to know exactly what that little blue or pink pill, or yellow triangle, or striped capsule is. Your tax dollars paid for this rather cool site. Once you ID your pill there are links available to take you to the FDA drug label or the drug information portal at the National Library of Medicine. This should give you more information about your medication than you ever wanted to know.
Victoria Rentel, MD (Ohio State University Student Health Services)