How to choose the right drug

Today, there are a huge number of medicines that help us cope with various diseases. The modern world offers us a wide range of different products – from vitamins and minerals to serious drugs that are sold exclusively by prescription, have a number of contraindications, and are taken strictly according to the course prescribed by the doctor.

Of course, in pharmacies, you can recommend a drug that will help soothe a toothache or headache. Also, pharmacists will offer cosmetic preparations or analogues of pills prescribed by your doctor. Everyone knows that imported products are much more expensive than domestic manufacturers. Therefore, the pharmacist can recommend and advise the buyer about similar drugs.

Pharmacists have a special education that gives them the right to provide recommendations. They can find the right dosage if they don’t have the one your doctor has prescribed. At the same time, a pharmacist cannot advise patients on serious medications, because only a specialized doctor can do this.

If you yourself are looking for drugs in pharmacies online, then do not rush to buy a drug that you think will suit you. Many people make their own diagnoses based on symptoms, but this should never be done. First of all, you need to consult a doctor and pass all the necessary tests. After the doctor carefully examines the symptoms and research results, he will be able to make the correct diagnosis and choose the most correct treatment regimen.

When buying pharmacy products, do not forget to check the expiration date. Sometimes we can buy a drug that expires before you get your treatment. It is advisable to purchase drugs that are just out of production. If you buy in ordinary pharmacies, then check the “freshness” of the drug immediately on the spot. According to the rules, drugs are not subject to exchange and return, but if you immediately pay attention to the date, you can immediately return the drug. Keep your receipts just in case.

Take care of your health, and in no case take the risk of taking medicines that you are not sure about.

The effectiveness of treatment and even the safety of our health depends on how correctly we take the medications prescribed by the doctor. Even seemingly insignificant nuances of taking or storing can seriously affect the effectiveness of medications taken, strengthening, weakening or even “cancelling” their effect. But all this is true in cases where we are talking about certified quality drugs. We talk about how to choose the right medicines and not run into a fake.

How dangerous are substandard medicines?

The World Health Organization cites the following data: every year around the world, several million people die due to low-quality and counterfeit drugs, only counterfeit antimalarial drugs claim up to half a million lives annually.

How common are counterfeit medicines? In our country, the year before last, 752 series of medicines were withdrawn from circulation due to their non-compliance with the requirements of regulatory organizations. In general, according to WHO, in low- and middle-income countries, the share of low-quality or counterfeit medicines can be up to 10% of the total market.

How to recognize a fake?

Unfortunately, there is no 100% opportunity to check the quality of the drug: in some cases, fakes are made so skillfully that they can be distinguished from the original only with the help of an examination. But there are a few details that may suggest that not everything is in order with the medicine being purchased. Pay attention to:

Font and packaging design

An unusual and unusual font used for the name of the medicine, spelling errors, broken package integrity, poorly printed text, chips, scratches and other damage – all this may be a sign that you have a fake.

Information on the packaging

Pay attention to whether the manufacturer’s data, batch number, expiration date and production date indicated on the package (both sides), package insert, primary and secondary packaging match. Also, do not buy medicines that do not have the exact and detailed address of the manufacturer on the packaging, but only the city or country.

The integrity of the drug itself

Damaged tablets, drug residue at the bottom of the package (in the form of a chip or powder), as well as a different and indistinct pattern on the tablets themselves are all dangerous signs that may indicate that the drugs are counterfeit.

Is it possible to check the manufacturer?

You can check the whole ins and outs of a medication through the State Register of Medicines – it is updated daily. It makes sense to look at the page of the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control – they publish data on low-quality or counterfeit medicines.