Test Your Meds IQ
1. Which medicines should you tell your doctor you are taking?
- Prescription medicines
- Over-the-counter medicines
- Dietary supplements (such as vitamins and herbs)
- All of the above
- Both A and B
2. Which of the following does NOT need to be included in your personal
medication record
?
- Your pharmacy contact information, including address and hours
- Your Social Security number
- The name of your medication(s), reason for use, form (e.g., pill, liquid, injection), dose and start/stop date
- Any drug allergies or side effects you have
3. If you need to save money, is it safe to occasionally take fewer Rx drugs than prescribed by your doctor?
- __ Yes __ No
4. There are many options when it comes to your health and medications. Which of the following could help you save money?
- Ask your doctor to prescribe generic drugs when available
- Use the AARP website to compare costs of drugs used to treat similar conditions
- Get prescription assistance through national, state or local pharmacy assistance programs
- Enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug program
- Fill your prescription online or through mail order programs
- All of the above
5. Everyone misses the occasional medication dose. If that happens, it is best to:
- Consult your doctor, pharmacist or other health professional
- Take the missed medication immediately upon discovering the oversight
- Wait for the next scheduled dose
- Double the next scheduled dose
6. The bathroom medicine cabinet is the best place to store medications.
- __ True __ False
Answers:
1) D. All of the above. Many health studies have asked medical professionals and their patients to each list what medicines the patient is taking. About 9 times out of 10, they don't agree! This is dangerous for your health because of potential drug-drug interactions. To avoid health risks, it's important for you to tell your doctor the truth about all the medicines you take—prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements.
2) B. Your Social Security number. Your record does not need to include your Social Security number, but it should include your doctor and pharmacy contact information and the names and details of all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. You should also include whether you have any drug allergies or side effects from certain medicines.
3) No. Skipping doses of your medication is unsafe. You should always follow the instructions that your doctor and pharmacist provide. A safe way to look for cost savings is to explore your drug choices to see whether or not a lower-cost brand name or generic medicine is available to treat your condition. You may consider the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and also look for prescription benefit assistance programs. You may also find cost savings through mail-order or online pharmacies.
4) F. All of the above. Asking your doctor to prescribe generic drugs, researching your medication options, getting prescription assistance through pharmacy assistance programs, enrolling in a Medicare Part D prescription drug program, and filling your prescription online or through mail-order programs are all legitimate ways to save money.
5) A. Consult your doctor, pharmacist or other health professional. It's easy to forget to take a pill, especially if it is a new prescription. But missing a dose can harm your health. If you miss a dose or more than one, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to get advice on how to continue your regimen.
6) False. The chemical elements of a medication change more quickly when stored in a hot, moist or sunny place. Even using the hot water in a sink can be harmful to drugs you keep in the medicine cabinet. A drawer in your bedroom will be cooler, drier, darker and, therefore, safer than your medicine cabinet.
Score:
- 6 correct: Congrats, you're med-wise!
- 4-5 correct: Good work, you're pretty med-savvy.
- 3 or less: It's time to get med-wise! Start by exploring our resources at www.aarp.org/walgreens
