Medications

One very important thing to remember is to ask what medication the patient is getting. If you do not know what the medication is for, ask. Keep track of the medications the patient is given and learn how the medication is administered. Is it via IV, by mouth (medical term PO), is it sublingual (under the tongue), via inhaler, nebulizer, inter-muscular injection, subcutaneous injection...
Learn the dosage and the number of times per day (medical terms: bid 2x a day; tid 3x a day, qd = every day) the drug is administered.
If the patient is home, either memorize the telephone number of the local pharmacy or write it down where you can easily look it up. Learn where the nearest 24 hour pharmacy is and keep that number handy too.
Everyone should learn the names and dosages of their medications and what they treat. People should know what drugs should be taken together and what should be taken separately. For example if you take a diuretic for high blood pressure, you should also be on a Potassium supplement (K+), because diuretics leach out the bodies K+. If you stop taking the diuretic and should also stop the K+. K+ imbalance can lead to heart attack. Do not take Calcium and Iron together, they bind in the gut and are excreted, so the body does not absorb either one. Learn when you should eat when taking medications. Should you take a pill on a full stomach, or empty stomach?
Do not take your pills with OJ or any citrus beverages, they alter the uptake of many drugs. Take a drug with water or milk these are neutral pH and this is how the medication is formulated to work best.
The most reliable person to ask about medications is your pharmacist. If you have questions about side affects or any question in general, ask the professional!

The other day I noticed the nurse preparing to mash up Michael's medications in order to put them in the feeding tube. I told her that 2 of the pills are to be placed under the tongue. She looked up the method of administration and noticed that I was correct. She said it was a good thing I mentioned the method of pill administration because it wouldn't have worked if she had put it in the tube feeding. oops!