Using Medications

Medications taken by mouth can affect the digestive system in a number of different ways. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, while usually safe and effective, may create harmful effects in some people.

Whatever medications you take, it’s important to know why you’re taking them, what they’re designed to do, and how to take them properly.

Medicines can be an important part of treatment for serious infections. They can help relieve pain and lift depression.

Side effects of medications are more common as people age, so it's important to understand how to identify and prevent them.

A food-drug interaction can occur when the food you eat affects the ingredients in a medication you are taking, preventing the medicine from working the way it should.

Sometimes medicines can cause side effects and actually make a person feel worse. Side effects are more common as people age, so it's important to understand how to identify and prevent side effects.

The average American takes between two and seven prescription drugs daily. Managing these medications properly is essential for good health.

If you have more than two medications to manage, consider getting a pill organizer -- a special container marked with the days of the week. Besides housing multiple medications, a compartmentalized organizer can be useful for keeping track of the medications you've taken.

It's easy to forget that OTC remedies are drugs that can cause side effects and affect other medications. That's why it's important to read the dosage instructions, health risks and warnings on the packaging.

Stocking your medicine cabinet isn't difficult and doesn't take much time. You'll first want the essentials for first aid and symptom relief, rounded out with a few items that meet the special needs of you and your family.

In addition to dispensing prescription medications, many pharmacies serve as health consultation centers.

Every year, more than 400 million prescriptions are filled with generic medications in the United States.

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are safe and effective when used as directed. It's when a person doesn't follow the label's advice that problems may occur.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could look and feel years younger just by taking a supplement? The makers of "anti-aging" hormone supplements would like you to believe that this is possible. But before you accept their claims and open your wallet, see what medical researchers say.

Here are strategies from the Food and Drug Administration to help you cut your prescription costs by 50 percent or more.

No packaging system is completely safe, so it's important that you check for signs of tampering whenever you buy or use a medicine.