Become More Familiar with the Medicine You Take... Learn the Generic Name
Medicines all have one generic name and perhaps one or more brand names. The brand name is chosen by the drug company. The generic name is assigned by an official body, the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council. You probably know, for example, that Advil and Motrin are brand names for the generic medicine ibuprofen. Knowing that Advil, Motrin, and ibuprofen are all the same medicine alerts you to an important risk—that taking these medicines together could add up to an overdose.
Learn MoreMark the Bottle!
Out of the corner of your eye, you catch your toddler drinking from his older brother's bottle of liquid medicine. You quickly call the Poison Help (1-800-222-1222). But when they ask you how much your child took, you frantically realize that you don't really know.
Learn MoreIf More Than Three, Ask the Pharmacy!
A doctor prescribed doxepin (Sinequan) 50 mg daily for a young man with depression. This medicine is available in a 50 mg capsule. But the pharmacy where the man had the prescription filled carried only 10 mg and 100 mg capsules. The lower dose (10 mg) is normally used to treat patients with chronic itching. A higher dose (50 mg or more) is the usual dose to treat depression.
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