Tips for avoiding dangerous drug interactions

The medicine you take can interact with other drugs and even some foods and drinks. Drug interactions can make your medicine less effective, cause unexpected side effects or be harmful to your health.¹

Prescription drugs can interact with:

• Other prescriptions
• Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines
• Vitamins and herbal supplements
• Foods and drinks

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

The following tips are helpful for avoiding dangerous drug interactions:

• Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and herbal supplements, and any samples you may have from other doctors. To help you get started, fill out My Medicine List in English , opens new window, My Medicine List in US Spanish , opens new window, or My Medicine List in Puerto Rico Spanish , opens new window Humana members can create a digital list of medications by using RxMentor. Sign in to MyHumana to use the tool.
• Ask your doctor what you need to avoid with your medication. Ask about food, beverages, dietary supplements and other drugs.²
• Ask questions at the pharmacy. The pharmacist can clarify your doctor's instructions and may offer additional information that could help you avoid a potentially dangerous drug interaction.
• Know all you can about the medications you take, including their brand and generic names, why you take them and any special instructions (for example, take with food or on an empty stomach).
• Keep medications in their original containers so you can easily identify them.

If you are taking multiple medicines or need to know if certain foods will interact with your medication, Humana Drug Information tool to check for interactions.

Always talk to your doctor first before making changes to your medication routine.