Practicing the safety basics is vital.

Adverse drug effects can be serious, even requiring hospitalization. While these adverse events are much more likely to occur with prescription medications, OTC drugs are not without risk. Especially if they are taken incorrectly.

Consumers need to know what they are taking, how they should take it, and what other drugs or supplements they should avoid when using it. Safety basics start by learning about the medication that has been recommended for you by the pharmacist or your doctor. A good first step is to talk to your healthcare professional before you take any new medication. You should also be sure to read the label!

Read labels and inserts carefully!

OTC products come with either a package insert or a label, both of which you should read carefully. These detail important information like:

• How many pills or spoonfuls are recommended per dose, and what the maximum recommended dosage per day is?
  
• How many times a day do you need to take the medication and for how long?
  
• When does it expire (lose full strength)?
  
• What are the potential risks and side effects?
  
• Are there any special instructions about how or when to take the medication?

Make sure you pay attention to all these instructions, or you may run the risk of side effects or the medication may not work properly. For example, did you know that some medications need to be taken with food to be properly absorbed, others on an empty stomach? The label would tell if these special situations apply. If you don't follow the instructions, the medication may not be as effective.

Don't mix medications without checking.
It is vital to ask your pharmacist if the medication you want to take can interact with other drugs you may be taking --even vitamin or mineral supplements, oral contraceptives, diet aids, herbal preparations, and homeopathic remedies.

Drug interactions are one of the key reasons why people end up being hospitalized for adverse drug effects. Your pharmacist should be aware of all medications you are taking in order to minimize the likelihood that drugs will interact.

Some drugs interfere with the absorption of various vitamin and mineral supplements, so you need to find out if it's okay to take supplements at the same time. (For example, calcium-based antacids and vitamin supplements can prevent the absorption of certain antibiotics, such as tetracycline; some antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills.)

As well, some people have medical conditions that might make taking an OTC medication on top of their other medications particularly dangerous.

The interactions are on the package insert or label usually under the headlines "Cautions", "Warnings", "Precautions" or "Contraindications". These sections describe conditions under which people should avoid taking the drug and/or medications. Read this carefully before self-treatment with any product. If there is any doubt, be sure to talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Knowing what the ingredients are is important too.

Knowing what ingredients the product contains is also a vital piece of information that can help people stay out of trouble. Drugs that contain high levels of alcohol or sugar may not be ideal for people with diabetes. In the case of pain relievers, it is important to know that there are several types of active ingredients.

For example, there are two main types of pain relievers--non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), which include ASA, or ibuprofen(as in MOTRIN* IB); and acetaminophen, as found in TYLENOL*. Both types of pain relievers work very well to relieve aches, pain and fever, but they are chemically different. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you determine which one is best for you.

Take special circumstances into account.

Acetaminophen is known to be safer overall than ASA or salicylate-containing pain relievers, and this is especially true with children under 15 who have the chickenpox, flu or symptoms that might be the flu (including most colds). Although rare, a serious condition called Reye's syndrome may develop if they take ASA when sick. TYLENOL*, which contains pain and fever-relieving acetaminophen, has never been associated with Reye's syndrome. This is one reason TYLENOL* is most frequently recommended for children and teenagers.

People already taking a prescription NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory) for arthritic pain also need to be careful about taking an OTC NSAID product (ASA or ibuprofen) for a headache or other minor pain. If they take both, they could be at risk for side effects from taking a higher than recommended daily dose of NSAID than they should. Their doctor would probably tell them to take TYLENOL* for that headache or muscle strain instead, because the acetaminophen will not interact with the prescribed anti-inflammatory.

Follow the recommended doses.

Following the dosing instructions makes sure you are getting the maximum benefit from the medicine without over-medicating or underdosing. Rigourous clinical testing and experience establish the safety of over-the-counter drug use at specific levels. These levels, and how much medication to take for each age group, are on the label under recommended dosing.

Measuring the correct dosage is particularly important when giving medication to children. Consult the label or the package insert, and follow dosage instructions carefully, based on the child's age and weight, (keeping in mind that dosage requirements change as children grow). Many children's medications come packaged with measuring devices such as a dropper or a cup. These devices are there to ensure the measured dose is correct and substitutes, like a kitchen teaspoon, are not a good alternate.

Take the right medications the right way.

The idea behind knowing the safety basics is to get a real sense of the risks and benefits of your medications and to generate some questions that you can ask your pharmacist or doctor. Don't be afraid to ask either of them a question. They are there to help make sure that you are taking the right medications the right way. That is true for questions on OTC pain relievers as well. Check with them first before you start something new.