By Dick Broom

In fact, you should get rid of any medicines that are even slightly past their expiration date. Nearly all drugs lose potency over time, so the longer you keep them on the shelf, the less effective they are likely to be.

Even if some old medicine is still as strong as when you got it—and how would you know?—you shouldn’t take it, because it might not be what you need now. Even if it is, you’re probably going to need more than the three or four pills that are left in the bottle. So discard them and go back to your doctor.

“You should go through your medicine cabinet at least once a year and throw away anything that’s out of date or only partially used,” says Jason Joyce, Pharm. D., Pharmacy director at FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital. “There’s no point in keeping out-of-date drugs, and they’re a hazard. You could get them mixed up with newer drugs you’re supposed to be using.”

If your doctor prescribes a drug and it doesn’t work very well, it might be that you need something else. But pharmacists say that it’s just as likely that you aren’t taking the drug the way you should.

“There are a few basic things that everyone should know about their medication,” Joyce says. “You should understand what it’s for, what the most common side effects are, how often you should take it and at what time of day, whether to take it with food or not, and whether to take it with other medications. The more patients know, the more likely they are to be compliant with how they are
supposed to take it.”

John Walker, R.Ph., Pharmacy director at FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital, says people should not hesitate to ask their doctor or pharmacist if there is anything they aren’t sure about. For example, you might want to ask if it’s all right to take a particular over-the-counter (OTC) drug, even something as common as a headache remedy, while you’re taking a prescription drug.

“If the OTC drug has some of the same ingredients as your prescription medication, such as acetaminophen, then you may be at risk of an overdose,” Walker says. “So, if you aren’t sure exactly what’s in both drugs, check with your pharmacist.”

It can be tempting to stop taking a drug once your symptoms are gone, but that is rarely a good idea, especially with antibiotics.

“You need to complete the full course of antibiotics, even if you feel fine, to completely eradicate the infection,” says Benny Morse, Pharm.D., a pharmacist at Richmond Memorial.

Patients are sometimes less diligent about taking their medicines for diabetes and high blood pressure, because these diseases may not cause any symptoms. But if they aren’t properly controlled, they can lead to serious, life-threatening complications.

“It is extremely important to follow your doctor’s instructions and take the medication that he or she prescribes,” Joyce says.

Joyce advises talking with your doctor if you are having trouble taking your medicine as prescribed.

“If the medicine is causing a side effect or if it’s expensive and you can’t afford it, your physician might be able to switch you to something else,” he says. “Whatever the concern is, you really should be communicating with your physician.”

Lisa Cutrell, Pharm.D., a pharmacist at Richmond Memorial, says patients need to understand that it takes more than medicine to control some diseases.

“If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, for example, pills can help control it, but it also takes diet and exercise and maybe other lifestyle changes,” she says. “You can’t just rely on the drugs.”