Q: I use an inhaler to manage my asthma. How can I tell when it's time for a refill?
A: Many new inhalers come with a dose counter, either built in or on the outside. If yours has one, learn how to read the display. Order a new one when the counter says there are 20 puffs or less remaining. Some displays will turn red when the medicine's low.
To track your medicine without a dose counter, figure out how many puffs you take a day. Then, read the label on your inhaler. It should say how many puffs are in the canister. Divide this number by the number of puffs you use per day.
For instance, if you start with 200 puffs and take six per day, divide 200 by six. You'll get 33. Count ahead 33 days on your calendar and circle the date. That's when your inhaler will run out. Ask your Good Neighbor Pharmacy pharmacist to refill your prescription one or two days beforehand.
Q: What's the best way to keep track of my prescription medications?
A: Make a list or chart of all your medications. Share it with your family members, doctor and pharmacist.
You might include this information:
• Separate sections for morning, afternoon, evening and bedtime medicines
• Drug names (generic and brand-name) and amounts
• Why you're taking them
• What they look like
• How to store them
• How much you should take
• How to take them
• How long to take them
• How and under what conditions you should stop taking them
• A list of drugs you can safely take at the same time as your prescribed medicines for common ailments, such as headaches
Q: I'd like to quit smoking. Are there prescription drugs available to help me succeed?
A: Bupropion (Zyban®) and varenicline (Chantix®) have been approved by the FDA to help smokers quit. Buproprion affects chemicals in the brain that are related to nicotine craving. Varenicline interferes with nicotine receptors in the brain. By doing so, varenicline decreases the pleasure that a person gets from smoking and lessens the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Studies show that taking varenicline can double a person's chance of quitting smoking compared with taking no medications at all. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if either of these medications may be right for you.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, October 2013
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