Eyedrops Count!

Once a year it is wise to schedule a 'brown bag' session with your primary care doctor. What's the brown bag for? Use a brown bag to haul ALL of your medications for the doctor to inspect. You probably are taking pills prescribed by some specialist about which your primary doc is unaware. This can avoid serious adverse drug interactions, like when some high blood pressure pills are combined with some antidepressants. Antibiotics can cause all kinds of havoc.

When you are loading your brown bag make sure you also include your daily vitamins, nutritional supplements, over-the-counter remedies (many OTC drugs were recent Rx drugs, right?)

Finally, do not neglect to add your EYEDROPS. In order for eyedrops to penetrate the clear cornea they are very concentrated...lots of active drug in one tiny eyedrop. It may surprise you to learn what kinds of chemicals are in eyedrops: alpha agonists, beta-blockers, nonsteroidals, cholinergics, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, prostaglandin analogs. There are real medicines that can interact with whatever other pills you consume, and your primary care doctor is likely unaware of all the different drugs you are taking.

If your doctor seems disinterested consider a brown bag visit with your local pharmacist. Someone other than you needs to know the complete story about your medication regimen.

Related Topics: Find a Medication, WebMD Video: Cut Medication Errors: Device Double-Checks Medication

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