prescription drugs

So, you find yourself feeling poorly and make an appointment with your doctor. After the examination she decides to prescribe a drug for what ails you. She describes what the drug should do and answers your questions. Feeling satisfied, and with a prescription in hand, you leave the office. Halfway down the block, however, some doubts start to come to the surface: Did I ask all the right questions? Can I take the drug with grapefruit juice? How am I going to pay for it? You may feel the need for additional information.

You are not alone. One of the top types of questions we get at the Health Information Center are about prescription drugs. The questions tend to fall into two categories: Information about the drug itself (what it is for, what are the side effects, etc) and information about price. Luckily there are several good resources available to help you. The first and most important resources to use are your doctor and pharmacist. Consumer Reports on Health has a good summary of topics to discuss with your doctor about prescription drugs, and the FDA has a web page concerning questions to ask your pharmacist about your prescription.  read more »