Taking Medicines
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs?
- After you swallow a pill or capsule, what happens to the drug inside the body?
- How does the body get rid of medicines?
- What is an active ingredient?
- Does aging affect how the body processes medicines?
- Do medicines work the same in all people?
- How do genes affect how people respond to drugs?
- How can I remember all the details about a new medicine the doctor prescribes for me?
- How can I remember when to take all the different medications that my doctor has prescribed for me?
- Should I inform my doctor and/or pharmacist about all the different medications I am taking?
- If I have questions about my medicine after I leave the doctor's office, what should I do?
- Why do some medications need to be taken with meals?
- Should all medicines be taken with food?
- What are drug interactions?
- What are side effects?
- What are some ways to avoid side effects?
- What is the "grapefruit juice effect?"
- If I feel better, can I stop taking the medication my doctor has prescribed for me?
- What's the best place to store my medications?
- Where do scientists get ideas for new drugs?
- How can doctors be sure new drugs work as they should?
- What are clinical trials and who conducts them?
- Are there risks involved in participating in clinical trials?
- Are researchers working on developing new medicines for diseases of aging?
- Have scientists come up with a cure for Alzheimer's disease yet?
- What is pharmacogenetics research?
