Knowing the Medication You Are Taking

Inside pill bottles is relief for a variety of conditions, but Lee Health pharmacist Julianna Hennig said that comes with a catch. “You would be very surprised how many patients I talk to and they don’t know their entire medication list, or they don’t know the doses they’re on, or why they’re taking their medications.”

If you don’t know, your provider will refer to your medical record, however, “Not every provider that you see is going to have the same medication list,” said Hennig. That can cause major problems for your healthcare provider. “If you’re on a medication and you don’t tell your provider, there’s a chance they could start a new medication that’s going to interact, or start a new medication that is in the same class that you’re supposed to be on and didn’t know you were already on it before.”

Hennig encourages everybody to keep an accurate medical history and medication list. “This should include all prescription medication, all over the counter medications, people typically forget about injectables, they use inhalers, herbals and supplements, and any kind of topicals.”

You can keep your list written down on a note pad or use the Mychart app. “It keeps an accurate list of your medications. You can update it, so if you stop the medication you can take it off, if you start a new medication, you can add it, and then that is going to follow you to your provider offices,” said Hennig.

It’s the patient’s responsibility to know their medication and take them as prescribed. If you have any questions or concerns, your pharmacist can be a great resource to speak with.




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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.


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