Utilizing another person’s prescription medicine can go two ways – you can get away unharmed, but then again, you may not. Using someone else’s prescription could have shocking effects. Additionally, just because prescribed medicines are advertised on the television doesn’t mean they are safe for you to use. There are also reasons why some of the prescribed medication cannot be bought over the counter. Usually, the doctor considers a myriad of factors before they can prescribe a medication, and these include factors such as your medical history, current condition, and the potential benefits or risks the medications could have on you as an individual. For that reason, taking medication prescribed for someone else will deprive you of all the above considerations, leaving you susceptible to a myriad of complications, some of which can prove to be fatal. To dive further into this, here are 10 reasons why you shouldn’t be using someone else’s prescribed medication
- You May Actually Not Need It
Prescribed medications, particularly antibiotics, can be used to treat bacterial infections and not viruses, so do not take leftover antibiotic to treat a cold because that will not help you in any way. By so doing, you could suffer from other serious side effects such as a rash or diarrhea. Additionally, using drugs prescribed for someone else can result in unknown side effects that can be detrimental to your health. If you are suffering from any ailments, you can seek help from the certified physician or healthcare institution. For instance, you can get your Canadian pharmacy meds from medical professionals qualified to offer the best prescription for your specific health problem.
- Misunderstanding
You may not understand why you need certain pharmaceutical drugs, the nature of their side effects, or what effects some drugs can have on you. This is especially the case if you are a patient suffering from a chronic ailment, because taking drugs on a daily basis to minimize the risk of something bad happening could be confusing. In such a case, it can be dangerous or fatal to use someone else’s prescribed drugs because chronic illnesses require a special amount of care which includes using drugs that are specifically prescribed for you by your physician. If you need immediate relief yourself, you can invest in some cannabis for medical use, depending on what the law states in your area. You can find out how to use the equipment on sites like https://fatbuddhaglass.com/collections/bowls-downstems and learn how best take it to your advantage – in this case, pain relief. However, taking someone else’s medication is not in your best interests.
- You Can Become Addicted
Popping a prescription drug from the stash of another person could easily lead to dependence and addiction. Depending on an individual, it can only take one or two instances of drug consumption for one to become hooked. After addiction has taken hold of you, it can destroy your life slowly, by having a ripple effect on every other aspect of your life such as education, finances, and relationships.
- People Should Finish their Medication
Sharing prescriptions only mean that one person is not finishing their medications. If for instance, you are on antibiotics, it’s imperative to take every dose prescribed even after the symptoms have subsided. Stopping your medication before they complete means that you are allowing the dwindling effects of your illness to remain and this often leads to continued illness. That is why people are advised to finish their medication and not share them with anyone else.
- Threat of Resistance
More often than not, antibiotics are effective when taken the least. Misusing and overusing antibiotics can result in increased antibiotic resistance, or organism which have developed defenses against even the strongest medications. Since resistance against bacteria is one of the largest public health challenges, CDC estimates that at least two million people develop resistance in the U.S. alone. Using someone else’s medication can lead to the development of bacterial resistance, which could be problematic in itself.
- Drugs are Prescribed with a Single Person in Mind
In most case, a physician prescribes drugs with a particular ailment in mind. Therefore, prescriptions are dozed for a person’s condition, their age, and size. Sharing your prescriptions with someone else can be completely wrong for them. Moreover, stronger drugs are usually taken in smaller doses that build up gradually – giving your drugs to someone else will mean you will not attain the desired outcome from the drugs prescribed.
- It is Unlawful
Technically, it not legal to take prescription drugs not meant for you. Depending on where you live, getting arrested with pills or capsules that are not yours can earn you some jail time, stiff fine, or prison sentence. This is particularly the case if the drugs you are in possession have a tremendous potential of causing addiction or abuse such as tranquilizer or opioid.
- Negative Drug Interactions
Taking someone else’s prescribed medication increases the potential of negative drug interactions. Prescribed medications are strong and do not always interact well with other elements in your body. When you mix certain drugs with drinks, foods, and dietary supplements, you could experience shocking effects. Adding random drugs can increase this risk.
- Drug Safety
Drugs that are dispensed by licensed and certified pharmacies are usually subject to strict regulations for safety and quality. Unluckily, counterfeit drugs sold on the black market are a huge problem that the FDA is working to eliminate. When you consume drugs from another person, it becomes difficult to confirm its ingredients or degree of safety.
- Fatality
Every drug often has a potential for adverse side effects, although such risks are usually overseen by your physician. When you consume medication which is not prescribed by a physician, these risks are not being managed. For instance, according to FDA, an individual can easily succumb to a respiratory depression as a result of misusing prescribed painkillers like opioids. Apart from that, prescription sedatives such as benzodiazepines can lead to withdrawal seizures and prescription stimulants which include drugs for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can result in dangerous blood pressure increases.
Bottom Line
In abuse and prescription misuse, diversion is often a major problem. Like any medication, it’s advisable to follow the instructions of your doctor and take all the prescribed medication. If in any case, you decide not to take your antibiotics or any other prescribed drugs, do not give them to anyone else.