What are the consequences if you don't follow the doctor's rules for taking medication? : function, dosage, side effects, how to use

When you fall ill, you need to take medication immediately to speed up the recovery process. Apart from seeing a doctor, some of you tend to choose to buy medicine at a pharmacy or more practically by taking the remaining previous medicines that are considered effective in treating your disease. This is clearly being done outside of a doctor's supervision. So, what are the consequences if you don't follow the rules for taking medication from your doctor? The following is the full explanation.

This is the result if you do not follow the rules for taking medication from a doctor

When you are advised to take medicine, it means that you are obliged to follow the rules for taking the medicine that has been suggested. This includes adhering to the dosage, method, and timing of taking medication. According to Kimberly DeFronzo, R.Ph., M.S., M.B.A. from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, following the rules for taking medication from a doctor is very important. Especially for those of you who have chronic diseases who shouldn't even miss routine medication.

Simply put, taking medication that is not in accordance with the rules of the doctor can make your disease even worse. If it continues, of course this could allow you to be hospitalized, or even lead to death.

Forgetting to take medicine, increasing or decreasing the dose, carelessly putting the medicine down are among the mistakes that need to be avoided. Reporting from the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, which is equivalent to the POM in Indonesia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that carelessly taking medication causes 30-50 percent of treatment failures and 125,000 deaths per year.

For example, as many as 25-50 percent of patients who stop taking statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) for one year increase their risk of death by 25 percent.

The rules of taking medicine are often violated

1. Take leftover medicine

This is often done to treat fairly minor health problems such as headaches, muscle aches, nausea, or the flu. Usually, these drugs are left over because they don't need to be finished when the symptoms of the disease have stopped or healed.

This habit may not be too harmful or fatal, but sometimes it just doesn't help. The reason is, it could be that right now you actually have a different disease from the previous one, it's just that the symptoms are similar. As a result, the remaining medicine you take will not work.

2. Reduce or increase the dose of the drug

The rules for taking medication from a doctor have been made in such a way so that the results are effective for you. Reducing the dosage can make the medicinal properties less effective. If this continues, this will be very dangerous and even make the disease worse.

In other cases, you may feel that the medicine you are taking has not had a significant effect on reducing symptoms. This is why you are tempted to increase the dose of medicine so that you get better quickly. Remember, some drugs taken in high doses can cause dangerous overdoses.

So, it is important to adhere to the rules for taking medication from a doctor. If you want to reduce or increase the dose, first consult the doctor who prescribes the drug for you.

3. Stop taking medication

Your doctor may let you stop taking certain medicines when you feel better. On the other hand, there are some drugs that you should not stop taking suddenly, such as anti-seizure drugs, steroids, heart medications, and blood thinners.

For example, blood thinners do not provide benefits in the short term, but they can prevent the development of serious diseases such as strokes and heart attacks in the future. If you stop taking blood thinners because you feel they are not working, this can be fatal to your health.

Another example is taking antibiotics. Yes, antibiotics are drugs that must be consumed to prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant in the body (they do not work well). If you ignore the rules for taking antibiotics, it is clear that this will make the bacteria in the body stronger and then more difficult to fight.

4. Take other people's medicine

This error is usually made if there are other family members who were sick first with complaints of the same symptoms. Even though the symptoms of the disease are the same, your medical history and possible allergies may not be the same as for others.

For example, you take a pain medication by your brother or sister to treat headaches, even though you have acid reflux (GERD or ulcers). Some types of painkillers are not stomach friendly. So instead of treating headaches, these drugs actually cause ulcer symptoms to recur.

Not necessarily the medicinal properties will have the same effect on your body. That's why you are not recommended to take other people's medicines even though the symptoms are similar.

Easy tips to comply with the rules for taking medication according to a prescription

Following the doctor's medication rules is very important to control the symptoms of chronic disease and speed up the recovery process of the disease. If you are still confused about how to take proper and correct medication rules, immediately visit a pharmacist or doctor to ask for an explanation. Because only you can control medication adherence.

Here are easy tips to follow the rules for taking medication so you don't miss it again:

1. Set an alarm so that you take your medicine at the same time every day.
2. Take medication in between daily routines, such as after brushing your teeth or before bed. Make sure first whether the drug should be taken before or after meals.
3. Use a special container for putting medicine. This serves to make it easier for you to separate each drug with each dose and time to take the drug, whether in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
4. When traveling, always carry your medicines in a bag that you always carry around with you. If necessary, increase the amount of medicine so you don't have to bother buying it again when the medicine runs out.
5. When you get on the plane, make sure your medicines are in the bag you always carry with you. Avoid putting it in the trunk as hot temperatures can damage the medicine.