Imagine living in a world without medicine, what would it be like? Even though we abuse the effects of medications as well as criticize pharmaceutical companies for making huge profits, just imagine a medicine-free world. From viral infections to chronic illnesses, it will be impossible to survive without medicines.
Why are medicines important?
Medicines are a part of our modern-day lives; from improving our quality of life to increasing the longevity of our lives, we are less likely to survive without over-the-counter and prescribed medications. As per common belief, medicines are an important component of disease management and make diseases easy to live with.
Why are patients non-adherent to medication?
Taking the right medication at the right time is important for effectively managing the disease. But some of the mistakes from both patient’s and physician’s end can result in huge damage. Sometimes, patients seem to be non-adherent towards their medicines due to multiple reasons including risk factors, mistrust, and poor understanding of their disease and medicine.
While on the other hand, the physician might also be responsible for this no adherence. I’ve seen the best medical specialist in rawalpindi prescribing heavy doses of medicines and advocating its usage while the patient was not able to take it.
Some common misconceptions about medicines
Apart from this, some of the misconceptions about medications are also very common that affect the overall treatment strategy. Some of the misconceptions about medications are:
1- You can ignore the medicine label at your convenience!
This is not only a myth but a drastic mistake that can lead to severe consequences. As per common belief, depending upon the severity of disease and the extent of pain, people tend to take more than prescribed doses of their medication. However, this can be severely damaging and can do more harm than good.
Always remember that medicine labels are not estimated suggestions, rather they are the precise calculations finalized after years of scientific research. So, you can’t just ignore these according to your convenience.
2- Once your symptoms are relieved, you can discontinue your medication
It is often seen that patients stop taking their medications after their symptoms are relieved for some time. But this practice is wide of the mark as discontinuing your medication on your own can be potentially harmful to you. It can result in the recurrence of the problem and can cost you more in long run. Before cutting down your medication, you don’t need to forget that your physician prescribes you medication to treat a problem.
3- Antibiotics can cure these all!
Well, the antibiotic is one of the most popular administered medicines but you don’t need to consider them a UNIVERSAL CURE. Antibiotics can particularly cure certain diseases while being non-respondent towards many others. So, if you are having a cold and sore throat you can’t skip a physician’s visit and take an antibiotic on your own. The overconsumption of these medicines can result in resistant microbes.
I once heard about a patient at southeast hospital in rawalpindi, who was suffering from a recurrent lung infection which was later found to be a bacterial strain resistant against several potential antibiotics.
4- You can replace your medicines with natural supplements
Although the side effects of certain medications can scare you, not all the medicines are harmful to you. And replacing them with natural supplements can’t cure your problem. Natural supplements can have their proven benefits but they are slow to act and are not the replacement of prescribed medications.
Apart from this, the word natural doesn’t guarantee the safety of these medicines and these still can have particular side effects. Therefore, it is advisable to discuss with your physician these supplements and then decide on their consumption.
5- You don’t need to tell your physician about multivitamins!
Multivitamins are the most widely consumed supplements and most of us are habitual of consuming them. But do you know that intake of these multivitamins can interact with your medications as well? So, while visiting your physician you need to tell them about the multivitamins you are previously taking.
Takeaway Note!
Medicines can help to treat or prevent you against a particular disease, but the proper administration of these medicines is more important than just consuming them. It is recommended that you should discuss with your physician rather than self-medicating yourself.
