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Helping Your Physicians and Pharmacists Help You

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Helping Your Physicians and Pharmacists Help You

contributed by Mattie Wilson, R.N. (retired)

Have you ever been to a doctor and forgotten to tell him or her some of your symptoms, or concerns that you have about your physical and/or mental health, such as –

Having difficulty sleeping,
Having feelings of depression or anxiety,
Having certain foods that you have eaten in the past, now causing you problems, and/or
Noticing the medicine prescribed for you is not making you feel better?

Have you ever been to a doctor and, while in the office, were not able to answer the doctor's questions (except to say you didn't know, or you were not sure) regarding a specific pain or other symptom(s) that brought you in, but, after leaving the doctor's office, you remembered the specifics?

A structured approach to health care for you and your family could result in a healthier and happier life. Listed below are practices you can follow to help your physicians and pharmacists help you.

1) Always let the physician know if you are allergic to anything (medicines, food, animals, etc.). It is important to remember that even if you've told the doctor about your allergies several times, that information may not be remembered during the current conversation.

2) Take all medical records with you or give permission for the release of your medical records when seeing another physician. A new law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), makes it illegal for your health care provider to share your private information without your permission, and that's a good thing. It may mean more work on your part, however, to make sure that all your doctors get all the information they need to help you.

3) When you are scheduled for a doctor's appointment, write a list of questions you would like answered by your doctor. (It is very easy to forget some of the questions and concerns you have once your appointment begins.) One way to do this is to keep a pad and pencil handy (in the bathroom and/or in a room where you spend most of your time) to write down your questions, concerns, complaints, symptoms, or when symptoms start, get worse, or change.

4) Be sure to tell the doctor what your symptoms, complaints, or concerns are. This saves time and the doctor will be better able to pinpoint the problem, make a diagnosis, and begin a treatment regimen. (If you just keep saying that you feel bad, you are sick, or you hurt all over, the doctor only knows that you feel sick and have some type of medical problem). Several trips to the doctor may be required before a correct diagnosis can be made and treatment for that diagnosis can begin. Some questions you might hear from your doctor include:

Do you remember when the symptom(s) began?
Did you notice a rash, lump, or other visible signs?
What caused the pain, or other symptom(s)?
Did the symptom(s) start suddenly, or come on gradually?
Do you remember an event that might have occurred close to the start of the symptoms, such as a fall, insect bite, or something else? How would you describe the symptom(s) on a scale of 1 to 10?

5) Also observe your children and/or adults in your care who are not able to tell you what ailments they have. (Do they appear to be in pain, have a temperature, have diarrhea, have a rash, have a cough, have difficulty swallowing, have difficulty breathing, or have other symptoms?) You can help both the person in your care and the doctor by preparing for questions like these for their care needs, too.

6) Ask your doctor to write down and print clearly the name of any diseases, conditions, medicines or other medical words that you need help spelling. This will enable you to get further information about it much more easily. Remember, too, that some medicines and health conditions are known by more than one name.

7) Take a list of your medications, including over-the-counter medicines, when you visit your doctor. Include the medicine's name, strength, dosage amount, and time you take each medicine. It is extremely important that you also list any vitamins, dietary supplements, or herbal remedies you are currently taking. Some alternative medicines may change the effect of prescription medicines (and vice versa), and your doctor needs to know everything you are taking in order to make the best decision about your treatment. Do not assume your doctors know what medicines you are taking, even if they recently prescribed them to you. You are not the only patient your doctor has, and doctors can't know that you actually take the prescribed medicine unless you tell them so.

8) When given a new medication, ask the doctor the following questions, if you do not understand why they are being prescribed to you:

Why am I taking this medication?
How often should I take it?
When should I take the medicine (before or after meals, with food or without)?
How long should I take this medicine?
What side effects might occur with this medicine?

9) When you pick up a prescription from your pharmacy, check to see if it is the same medicine, same dosage, and same amount previously prescribed. This includes checking to see if the medicine is the same color and shape. If it appears different from those you have been taking and there is not a statement on the bottle stating “This is the same medication you have been getting; color, size, or shape have been changed” or some similar statement which explains any differences, be sure to ask the pharmacist if it is the same medication before you take any of it.

10) Take prescribed medicines at the same time each day or at other intervals as directed. If a dose is missed, do not double the next dose unless you have been told to do so.

11) Be safe in your use of medicines:

Tell the physician right away if a medication makes you feel worse or causes other symptoms, such as a rash, nausea, vomiting, or other side effects.
Keep all medicines out of reach of children and/or under lock and key.
Do not take other family members' medication unless you are instructed to do so by your doctor.
Do not take medicines that are old or outdated.
Do not store medicines in unmarked bottles or take medicines from unmarked bottles.
Do not use empty prescription or over-the-counter medicine bottles to store other things.
When traveling by commercial transportation, do not pack medications in luggage that will be checked. Keep your medicines with you in your carry-on bag.

AND HELP YOURSELF…

Consult your doctor or dietician regarding a healthy diet for you, and for children and/or adults under your care.
Ask your doctor for an exercise program that will meet your needs.
Consult your doctor concerning flu shots, immunizations, prostate exams, mammograms, colonoscopies, and other preventive measures.
Make good oral and body hygiene and good grooming a part of your life: Brushing your teeth, taking baths, washing hands frequently.

For more information on helping your health care providers help you, check these resources:

How to Talk to Your Doctor From AARP.

Be an Active Member of Your Health Care Team From the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Click here for a Printable version of this article (PDF)

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