Category: Medicine Guides

Picking up a medicine bottle and reading the label can sometimes feel like reading another language. There may be several names, numbers, abbreviations and warnings on a single package, and it is not always obvious which information matters most. Understanding a medicine label is an important part of using medicines safely. Whether the medicine was […]

Every medicine has the potential to produce effects beyond the one it is intended to produce. Some are mild and temporary. Others can be serious. Then there are drug interactions, where one medicine changes the effect of another medicine—or where food, alcohol, supplements or an existing medical condition changes how a medicine behaves. Understanding the […]

One of the most common sources of confusion about medicines is the difference between strength, dose and dosage. A prescription might say: 10 mg once daily while a bottle might contain: 5 mg tablets Neither number is difficult on its own. The challenge is understanding what each number actually means. Getting that distinction wrong can […]

Walk into a pharmacy and you’ll find medicines that can be purchased directly and others that require a prescription. The difference is not simply that one group is “strong” and the other is “weak.” Prescription and over-the-counter medicines are regulated differently because of factors such as how safely they can be used without professional supervision, […]

Pregnancy and breastfeeding can change the way people think about medicines. A medicine that was routinely used before pregnancy may need to be reconsidered, while another medicine may remain appropriate when its benefits outweigh potential risks. The most important point is that there is no universal rule that all medicines are unsafe during pregnancy or […]