5 Tips for managing your medications

Long gone are the days of taking every pill your doctor prescribed just because they said so. Today, you can take control of everything from what you’re given to checking whether it's right for you. These tips will help.

You are an equal partner in your healthcare and this means knowing everything necessary about the medication you're prescribed. These five tips will give you a firm hand in you medication management and make you feel more in control.

• We may live in the age of technology, but much of your health information is in paper form—most often stored in a variety of locations.
• Include a list of medications you're taking (and any adverse effects), duplicates of diagnostic tests, a family medical history, hospitalization records, immunization records, dental records and health insurance documents.

• The days of giving your power to the doctor, and trusting them without question are over. These days, you have to be an active participant in your health care—and that means learning about your condition and the best way to treat it.
• Thanks to the Internet, information on many health conditions is just a few mouse clicks away. Start with Health Canada. You'll find basic info on a range of health conditions, from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to cancer, and links to other sites that offer more in-depth information.
• The US-based National Guidelines Clearinghouse offers treatment guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

• When your doctor prescribes a brand-name medication, ask if you can have samples. Drug company representatives often give doctors free samples, and it will cost your doctor nothing to pass them along to you.
• You'll get a "free ride" for several days, and if you have a bad reaction to the medicine, you'll find out without having paid a cent. You may actually end up giving that pharmaceutical company less of your cash for a change.

One caveat: check the expiration date on the drugs first.

• The next time your doctor writes you a prescription, ask for enough to last you three months rather than a shorter duration. That way, you only have to pay one co-pay for a three-month supply, instead of three monthly co-pays for the same amount of medication.
• Check the prescription before leaving the doctor's office, however, to make sure it's written correctly.

• Studies find that doctors won't ask you if you can afford your medication, but if you tell them you can't, they'll come up with strategies so you can get your drugs and still have money to pay the rent and eat.

Some options: writing prescriptions for generics instead of brand names, reducing dosages, stopping some medications, teaching you how to split pills and referring you to pharmaceutical assistance programs.

So forget the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on income when it comes to your health.