Topic 1: Principles and usage of general household medicine

Principles of medication

Medicines can be both advantageous and disadvantageous, so we should consider the usage of medicines carefully for our safety.

1. Use when a doctor recommends it. If we follow this rule, a suitable medicine will be used totreat the specific illness. We have to avoid using drugs promoted by advertising in media because advertisements may over claim a medicine’s properties.

2. Use properly. There are many methods to deliver drugs to the body such as consumption, injection, applying, dropping, inserting etc. Which method to use depends on the properties of the medicine? Therefore, it is necessary to read the labels and learn about the usage before using a medicine.

3. Use in proper dose. The dose of medicine should not be too much or too less. It should be recommended by a doctor. For example, if the doctor ordered to take one tablet 3 times a day, that you should not take 2 tablets or take it 4 - 5 times a day. Using medicine is different for each person, especially with children whose medicine dosage will be very different from an adult dosage.

4. Use at proper times. Medicine should be administered into the body by dropping, inserting, applying, and injection etc. at the right time. Thus the dose of medicine in the blood will be in the right proportion to treat the sickness without becoming toxic.

Take before a meal:

medicine is taken before a meal should be eaten 1⁄2-1 hour before the meal giving it enough time to be absorbed. If forgotten to take the medicine at the right time, take it at least 3 hours after a meal so the medicine will be absorbed well.

Take after a meal:

a doctor may recommend taking this medicine immediately or at least 15 minutes after a meal. So the medicine will be absorbed into the blood at the small intestine together with nutrients.

Take before bedtime:

It should be taken after dinner at least 4 hours before bedtime.

5. Use the right standard of medicine: use the whole set and amount. Make sure it is not deteriorated or expired (look at the expiration or manufacturing date etc.). If the medicine in being repackaged into plastic bags, ask the pharmacist, nurse or doctor to label the bag with the name of the drug and the expiry date.

6. Use with the right person: carefully consider sex and age of the patient. The organs of each person, sex and age are different, e.g. children’s organs are not completely mature, so they will have faster reactions than adults. A pregnant woman has to consider the baby when taking a medicine because a lot of medicines can be passed on from mother to baby through the placenta which may affect the baby to be handicapped.

7. Use with the right disease: When you choose a medicine for treatment, you should ask a doctor or pharmacist before buying the medicine. Do not buy or use a medicine by word of mouth or oral advertisement. If using a medicine to cure a disease incorrectly, it may be dangerous or not giving the required result for the treatment.

8. Use of drugs for external use: such as waxes, creams, suppositories, powders and drops are used as follows:

- Applying drug: Apply them specifically to the infected area.

- Massaging drug: Apply to the symptomatic area with a soft massaging touch.

- Sprinkling drug: Before applying the drug, you should clean the wound and dry the area. Do not apply to a fresh wound or a wound with secretion because the powder will clump together, close the wound and may become the cumulative disease area.

- Drops: There are eye drops, ear drops and nose spray. When using eye drops, the tube should not touch the eye balls. Eye drops should be dropped in the middle or the corner of the eyes in the recommended amount as specified on the label or prescription. After the eye drops have been opened, they should not be kept longer than 1 month or shared with others.

9. Use of internal medicine such as tablet, powder and syrup which will be used as follows,

- Tablet: some tablets have to be chewed before swallowing, e.g. antacid, while other should never be chewed such as medicines covered by sugar or film.

- Capsule: avoid chewing capsules; they are to be swallowed undamaged including the hard cover.

- Powder: there are many types and each is used differently, e.g. measuring with a spoon, eat and then drink water; dissolving the recommend amount in water before drinking. The water which is used has to be boiled. Finish the mixed medicine within 7 days after preparing it.

10. Label recommended usage: all medicine will have a label describing its name, usage and possible side effects which are necessary for us to understand for safe usage. We should follow the recommendations on the label strictly.

Appearance of medicine

Since there are many types of medicine, there are many ways to take them and many that have different usages and warnings, so it is necessary to understand the different appearances and types.

Classification of the medicine

Act No.3 of BE 2522 defines medicines as substances used in analysis, treatment, and prevention of human and animal diseases, and are used to maintain and strengthen physical and mental health. They can be classified into 6 types:

1. Modern medicine

is used to treat the current diseases in both humans and animals such as antipyretic, antibiotic, analgesics and anti-allergy pill etc.

2. Traditional medicine

is used to treat the traditional diseases in both humans and animals. This type of medicine must be registered as a traditional medicine, e.g. Mahanil Tang Thong medicine, Ya Tat Bunjob, Ya Thepmomgkol, Ya Kheaw Hom etc.

3. Hard drugs

can be either modern or traditional medicines under special control because if used incorrectly, they may cause death, e.g. antibiotics or anti-emetics etc.

4. General household medicines

can be either modern or traditional medicines and are specified under the Act, e.g. stomachic mixture, carminative, sulfaguanidine, catgartics, oral rehydration salts, paracetamol etc.

5. Herbal medicine

is derived from plants, animals or minerals that have not been processed or changed such as aloe vera, garlic, tamarind, ebony, rhino horn, tiger fangs, bile boa, salt, alum, copper sulfate etc.

6. Special controlled medicines

include some modern and traditional medicines and are announced by the ministry as such, e.g. sedatives and narcotics.

Form of medicine

Current medicines come in many forms for convenience of use and highest effect:

1. Tablets such as paracetamol come as plain tablets; others are covered by a film such as cough tablets or by sugar such as vitamins, some have a special covering letting them pass through the stomach into the intestine for digestion such as analgesics, medicine for tuberculosis, etc.

2. capsules have a hardshell as inantibiotic s ,or soft shells as withfish oil, vitamin f , etc. Thesetype sof capsule s will be dissolved in the .stomach

3. A variety of portions are available such as cough syrup, children's antipyretic.

4. Subcutaneous and intravenous medicines are liquids such as vaccines and saline solution.

Moreover, there are medicines sold as waxes, powers, suppositories, eye drops, ear drops, nose sprays and lozenges.

Storage

After we already knew how to use in the right way, then we also have to understand how

to keep in storage properly for keeping its quality. The methods of storage will be as follow.

1. Medicine should be kept in a dark, dry and ventilated place.

2. Medicine should be kept out of children’s reach because they may confuse it to be candy and eat it which will be dangerous.

3. Medicine should be kept far away from kitchen, toilet and trees.

4. Medicine storage should be neat and tidy, separating external and internal medicines to reduce the risk of taking the wrong medicine. Medical supplies should be stored separated from medicines.

5. Medicine should not be exposed to light because the sunlight will deteriorate them. Best keep them in opaque or brown bottles just like eye drops, vitamins, antibiotics and adrenaline.

6. Medicines should be kept according to the recommendations on the label. If the label does not indicate anything, keep the medicine in a dry and cool area. Never put medicines in the freezer.

Storing medicines properly will keep them effective which results in a full treatment.

Observation of expired medicine

Expired medicine has no medication result but may have a negative effect on the health. Before using a medicine, observe the appearance of the medicine whether it is deteriorated or not. The observations can be as follows.

1. Uncoated tablets will change appearance easily when in contact with the humidity of the air. Every time a bottle of medicine is opened, it should be closed tightly afterwards. If the odor changes or some crystals form on the tablets, the medicine is expired and should be discarded.

2. Tablets covered by sugar will change easily if in a warm or humid area. Warmth and humidity will cause the tablets to melt, turn pallid, or crumble. If any of these conditions is found, the medicine is expired and should be discarded.

3. Capsules may be swollen, separated, or discolored; the medicine is expired and should be discarded.

4. Injectable medications can be observed easily as the medicine inside the bottle or tube can be seen. Some of them may be powder. If their appearance is as follows, it means the medicine is deteriorated:

- The medicines change the color

- Powdery residue forms and sticks to the a glass tube

- Medicine flocculates and takes more time to dissolve than normally.

- When pulling the medicine into the syringe it may get clogged.

5. Medical syrup can be observed easily as follows:

- The medicine changes the color

- The medicine is abnormally turbid and may have some precipitation.

- The medicine has a spoiled odor.

6. Emulsion medicine will be as follows when expired:

- Color and odor have changed

- After shaking the bottle the medicine is immiscible or some dregs are not dissolved.

7. Suppository will look as follows when deteriorated.

- The appearance of the suppository is change and cannot be tucked.

- The suppository is molten and cannot be used.

8. Balm when deteriorated will be as follows

- The balm looks is separated

- The balm is abnormally hard

- The color has change and may have dots

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