Dangerous drug interaction information.

Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions

Other drugs and even some foods can interact with your medication.

To help prevent drug interactions, it's important to know as much as you can about the drugs you take and to communicate openly with your doctors and pharmacists.

What can cause drug interactions

The prescription drugs you take can interact with:

  • Other prescriptions
  • Over-the-counter medicines
  • Herbal supplements
  • Foods and drinks

Tips for avoiding drug interactions

  • Tell your doctor about ALL the medicines you take – Include prescriptions, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, vitamins, and supplements - including samples your doctor provides.
  • Know all you can about the medications you take – Know what they're called, what you take them for, and any special instructions (for example, take with food or on an empty stomach).
  • Ask questions at the pharmacy – You'll probably sign a form saying you do or don't want to talk to the pharmacist.
  • Don't just sign the form – if you have questions, ask them. The pharmacist can clarify your doctor's instructions and may offer additional information that could help you avoid a potentially dangerous drug interaction.

Drug Interaction Checker

Taking more than one medication? Need to know if certain foods will interact with your medication? This tool will check for any interactions with your drug, whether it's with food or with other medications. Don't stop taking any medication(s) without talking to your doctor first.

To use the Drug Interaction Checker, visit the Drug Dictionary

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