Taking Medications as Prescribed

 Written by: Muhammad Arif Rahimi

Almost all medicines are made from plants and chemicals. Physicians prescribe medicine according to the age and weight of the patients. If someone takes medicine without the prescription, he/she might face some crucial health  and life problems.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people and a physician about this issue.

Muhammad Nazif, a resident of Maidan-Wardak province says: “my aunt's husband was sick. A doctor had prescribed him some tablets for the pain to take one pill at night and one in the morning. During the night, he had taken ten tablets at once and in the morning, we found him dead.”

Shabnam, a headmaster in one of the schools in Kabul city says: “I was suffering from malaria and the doctor advised me some tablets to take two pills at night and two pills in the morning but I forgot his advice and took more tablets. It caused me vomiting, heartburn, skin itching, abnormal heartbeat and nose-bleeding during the night.”

Doctor Muhammad Ismael Samim, a physician in one of the private hospitals, Kabul city says: “if someone takes overdose medicine, it might badly effect on his/her liver, kidneys and brain and might suffer from dizziness, sweating, fatigue, headache, vomiting and stomach ulcer and might face the risk of death and if he/she takes medications less than the doctor recommendation, would not be recovered.”

What people think about not taking medications as prescribed?

A girl says that each medicine has it own dosage; if someone takes less or more medicine than prescribed, as the medicines have side effects, the patient would face some problems.

Doctor Samim says: “if someone takes overdose medications, as the medicines are chemicals, they might change into toxic substances and they cause crucial health problems including the loss of life of the patient and if the patient takes fewer medicines than recommended by the physician, might not be recovered and the medications of such patients might be more complicated.”

The physicians should advise the patients how to take the medicines and also it is the job of parents and relatives to take care of their patients while taking medicines.