• Review any new medication carefully with your doctor or pharmacist.
  Make sure you understand how to take it before you go home.
• Do NOT keep medications in the bathroom.
  The moisture from baths and showers makes them deteriorate.
• Keep family members’ medicines separate,
  e.g., Mom’s in her night stand, Dad’s in the closet.
• Use color stickies to distinguish different family members’ medicines.
• Make sure you know all the medicines you’re taking and the dosages.
  Ask your pharmacist for a printout and to add in any extra details you need,
  like what each drug is for or how to take it.
• If you have pills that look alike, ask the doctor and pharmacist for solutions.

Do not assume over-the-counter (OTC) drugs or “natural” supplements are safe. Read labels carefully. OTC medicines must have warnings and directions, but most natural products don’t. Avoid them unless you have careful instructions from a health professional.

For more tips on OTC safety, contact the National Council on Patient Education and ask for their Be Medwise booklet, Use Over-the- Counter Medicines Wisely. Call 301-656-8565 or go to www.bemedwise.org.