Know Your Medication

Narrator: This message is brought to you by AHRQ, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. To keep from taking the wrong amount or type of medicine, take an active role in your own health care. Make sure you know the names of your medicines, and why you’re taking them. Know how long you’ll take the medicine, and if you’ll need refills. Ask your doctor if you’ll need follow-up visits or tests. Check a new prescription or refill before leaving the pharmacy, and make sure it’s what the doctor prescribed for you. If it seems different in size or color, ask your pharmacist. Keeping these tips in mind will help you check your meds, and take them safely.