Intervention Aroostook: 11.24.2020

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -Drug interactions can occur when two or more drugs react with each other. It can have dangerous effects on patients. In this week’s Intervention Aroostook, Shawn Cunningham talks to a healthcare practitioner about the importance of knowing your meds.

If you’re on some kind of doctor prescribed medication its critically important to be aware of all the medications you’re taking and their side effects. Its called Knowing Your Meds.

Jessica Bates Pharmacist Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital

“it’s really important and sometimes the responsibility falls onto the patient to know and understand what medications they’re taking because if one specialist is missing one piece of information about what medications someone is taking some really serious safety or side effects can happen that person

Shawn Cunningham

And that can have dangerous health consequences. But she adds knowing your meds can actually empower patients...

“it also helps for people to self manage their diseases to know and understand what medications they’re on...”

She stresses that’s especially important for people who are using medicinal marijuana..

“there are drug drug interactions that can happen with medical marijuana and so if you’re considering using medical marijuana that includes both THC products and CBD products that’s its really important to talk to your pharmacist before starting something like that because they can interact with really important medications so things like antibiotics antidepressants seizure medications cholesterol medication and even blood thinners like Cumidin can be affected by those types of products.”

She says overall patients should have open dialogue and communication with both a primary care provider and pharmacy about all prescribed drugs you;’re taking...to ensure its all safe. Shawn Cunningham, NS 8.

Copyright 2020 WAGM. All rights reserved.