Managing Medications

Medications can be a complex and baffling area, with many chronic pain sufferers using a combination of prescription and over- the-counter drugs to combat their symptoms and achieve day-to-day normality. There is also usually an element of trial and error in finding meds that work, and what works today may not work next month. Lastly, many pain meds are highly addictive, so dosing and proper use become very important. All of these factors—plus the fact that most of us are not chemists—can lead to a lot of misapprehension and confusion regarding what we can and should take.

Do You Know Your Pharmacist?

One of the most under-utilized resources in health care is the pharmacist. For those many millions who visit only big-box pharmacies, seeing one of a number of interchangeable random people in white coats, giving your name and receiving a pill bottle with no explanation, then this is very understandable. Why would you engage with this stranger who acts as little more than a cashier in discussions about your health? Sadly, the rise of these enormous multi-function pharmacy retailers has made knowing your pharmacist seem like an old-fashioned notion, but it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of independent and smaller pharmacies still around. Even if you don’t have a choice and have to go to a larger retailer for your prescriptions, there will usually be one or two supervising pharmacists on duty, present at set times, who you can ask to speak to and develop a rapport with.

What's So Great About A Pharmacist?

Pharmacists are experts in medication—that’s their whole job. They have gone to extensive educational lengths to become so. They usually know more than doctors about dosing, best practice for taking your medicine, potential complications, and drug interactions. Even if a medication has been prescribed by your trusted doctor, I would still recommend speaking to your pharmacist about it. Make sure they know everything you are on, over-the-counter meds included, and the issue being treated. 

They can advise on:

• Best practice taking medication (e.g. times of day, with/without food, in sequence or separate from other meds)
• Possible side effects
• Possible addictive qualities
• Possible interactions with other meds you may or may
• not be taking
• What to do if you miss a dose
• Expected efficacy, including a time window—especially if a slow- release pill
• Ramp-up time required (some drugs take several weeks to build up in your system before becoming fully effective)

All this information is needed for you to understand what you are taking, how to take it, and how to judge the efficacy of your meds. If it takes three weeks before your new prescription reaches effective levels in your system, there is no point in giving up on it after two weeks because it hasn’t done anything yet. Doctors usually do not have the information or the time to share all of this detail with you, so speaking with your pharmacist should be considered a necessary second step, after initial prescription, before starting any new medication. 

They are also valuable resources on over-the-counter options, how to alleviate side effects, and combining multiple medications at once.

Putting It Into Practice

There will always be someone for you to talk to at whatever pharmacy you go to, because it’s the law. A registered, fully trained pharmacist is required at all drug stores. You may need to ask to speak to them—you may need to come back if they are on break—but the awkwardness of asking a stranger about your prescriptions passes. Soon they will know you, will recognize you, and will be able to have an open and productive conversation with you (without prompting) to ensure you know everything you need to. 

For this reason, I highly recommend visiting only one location for your meds, and not buying them online. You risk missing out on one of the most beneficial health care relationships you can have as a chronic pain sufferer, one that doesn’t even cost you anything extra.