Ekurhuleni health practitioners have recorded a trend of some patients claiming prescribed medicine does not work for them.
Mpho Mashego, Ekurhuleni chief pharmacist, has emphasised the importance of following healthcare professionals’ instructions when taking medication and not using medication for any symptom of illness other than the one for which it was prescribed.
“Taking of medicines has become a daily routine for many people. It is important that they accommodate the medicine intake into their habits and accept that healthcare providers have their best interests since both medicine and healthcare providers are unavoidable necessities for good health, and in some cases to sustain life,” he said.
Mashego has noted that not everyone enjoys the luxury of consulting a private doctor, so it is imperative that patients ask healthcare professionals, or pharmacists, to write down medication instructions if it makes it easier to understand the medical treatment.
Medication may be detrimental to good health if taken irregularly, but taken correctly and understanding the right way to administer them, can reduce the risks.
Mashego encourages patients to pay close attention to keywords that give an indication of how a particular medication is administered, for example, whether it is taken orally or through a nasal intake.
Also read: City of Ekurhuleni suspends group chief financial officer
Some keywords are explained below:
• Buccal: Held inside the cheek.
• Inhalable: Breathed in through a tube or mask.
• Nasal: Given into the nose by spray or pump.
• Ophthalmic: Given into the eye by drops, gel or ointment.
• Oral: Swallowed by mouth as a tablet, capsule, lozenge, or liquid.
• Otic: Given by drops into the ear.
• Rectal: Inserted into the rectum.
The way medicines are taken is dependent on the part of the body being treated and the way the drug works within the body.
Follow us:
For more #hyperlocal news at your fingertips, visit Springs Advertiser, Boksburg Advertiser, Benoni City Times, African Reporter
