Dubai: A senior Dubai Health Authority (DHA) official on Sunday warned residents not to take any medicine without a doctor’s prescription.
Dr Ali Al Sayed, director of the DHA’s pharmaceutical services department, said that to get the maximum benefit from medication, it is important to take it exactly as prescribed by the doctor.
“You should also never take someone else’s medication or give your medication to someone else and never take more or less of a medication, unless directed by your health-care professional,” he said.
With the change in weather in the UAE, Dr Al Sayed said many winter illnesses can cause the same symptoms but they might not require the same treatment.
“If you have been prescribed an antibiotic for a previous illness and have recovered well, it is tempting to want to use the same antibiotic if you have similar symptoms. However, only a medical doctor who has examined you can ascertain if a winter illness requires treatment with antibiotics,” he said.
Al Sayed advised that people should never buy antibiotics without a prescription, never save antibiotics for later use, never use leftover antibiotics from previous treatments and never share leftover antibiotics with other people.
“Antibiotics are not effective against viruses and therefore should not be used to treat them. Common examples of infections caused by viruses include colds and flu. Overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics can make them not work when you need them, because bacteria develop resistance to them. This resistance causes the bacteria to thrive and potentially cause more harm. Antibiotics can be very powerful in treating bacterial infections when they are used properly. To maintain their effectiveness, they should be used only when necessary.”
Dr Al Sayed warned the public against mixing over-the-counter medication with prescription drugs as the substances could cause unexpected and unwanted effects when they interact with each other.
“While side effects can be relatively minor, such as a headache or a dry mouth, they could also be life-threatening, such as severe bleeding or irreversible damage to the liver or kidneys. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if it safe to take the medication,” he said
Polypharmacy (mixing medication) is dangerous because different drugs act on our bodies in different ways. The harmful effects are magnified by using more than one drug type.
“There are many negative consequences associated with polypharmacy, specifically, the burden of taking multiple medications has been associated with greater health-care costs and an increased risk of adverse drug events (ADEs)…,” he said.
