How should I take my medication?

How to Take Medication Properly

Medications should be taken following a systematic approach that includes administering each component individually to achieve the desired effect, allowing sufficient time between doses to assess peak effects, and following specific timing instructions related to food intake. 1

General Principles for Medication Administration

• Administer medications exactly as prescribed, paying attention to dosage, timing, and special instructions to maximize effectiveness and minimize adverse effects 1
• For intravenous medications, maintain vascular access throughout the procedure and until the patient is no longer at risk for cardiorespiratory depression 1
• Allow sufficient time to elapse between doses so the peak effect of each dose can be assessed before subsequent drug administration 1
• When drugs are administered by non-intravenous routes (oral, rectal, intramuscular, transmucosal), allow sufficient time for absorption and peak effect of the previous dose before considering supplementation 1

Specific Administration Guidelines

Oral Medications

• Take oral medications with appropriate timing relative to food intake as specified in the prescription (with or without food) 1
• For medications like desmopressin tablets, take at least 1 hour before going to sleep since maximum effects are attained after 1-2 hours 1
• For oral melt formulations (like desmopressin melt tablets), take 30-60 minutes before bedtime 1
• For combination medications like naltrexone-bupropion ER, follow specific titration schedules (starting with 1 tablet daily in the morning, with weekly escalation to maintenance dose) 1

Intravenous Medications

• Administer intravenous sedative/analgesic drugs in small, incremental doses or by infusion, titrating to the desired endpoints 1
• For medications like intravenous nitroglycerin, initiate at a rate of 10 μg/min via continuous infusion with non-absorbing tubing and increase by 10 μg/min every 3-5 minutes until symptomatic or blood pressure response is noted 1

Special Considerations

• For medications requiring dose conversions (such as from IV to oral formulations), follow established conversion protocols to ensure appropriate dosing 1
• For medications with potential for tolerance (like nitrates), use non-tolerance-producing regimens (lower dose and intermittent dosing) 1
• For medications with potential drug interactions (like sofosbuvir-based regimens with amiodarone), strictly follow contraindication guidelines 1

Improving Medication Adherence

• Use clear instructions for short-term regimens (≤2 weeks) to improve adherence 2
• For long-term regimens, combine information about the medication with counseling about the importance of adherence, reminders about taking medication, and recognition for efforts to follow the regimen 2, 3
• Consider using tools like medication organizers, alarms, or smartphone apps to help maintain adherence to medication schedules 3, 4
• Understand that adherence is an active choice requiring patient engagement, rather than mere compliance with instructions 5

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Avoid administering additional doses before the previous dose has reached its full effect 1
• Do not take medications with contraindicated substances (e.g., avoid sildenafil within 24 hours of taking nitrates) 1
• Never discontinue medications abruptly without medical guidance, especially for medications requiring tapering 1
• Be aware that telling patients about adverse effects does not necessarily affect adherence negatively 3
• Avoid taking medications at incorrect times of day (e.g., medications that cause insomnia should not be taken late in the day) 1