Be Drug Smart

Drug Safety

Drug Interactions

Drug interactions can:

• Make the drug less effective
• Cause unexpected side effects
• Increase the action of a particular drug
• Have lethal consequences

Drug interactions fall into three broad categories:

• Drug-drug interactions. Occur when two or more drugs react with each other. Drug-drug interaction may cause you to experience an unexpected side effect. For example, mixing a drug you take to help you sleep (a sedative) and a drug you take for allergies (an antihistamine) can slow your reactions and make driving a car or operating machinery dangerous.
  
  
• Drug-food/beverage interactions. Result from drugs reacting with foods or beverages. For example, mixing alcohol with some drugs may cause you to feel tired or slow your reactions.
  
  
• Drug-condition interactions. May occur when an existing medical condition makes certain drugs potentially harmful. For example, if you have high blood pressure you could experience an unwanted reaction if you take a nasal decongestant.

Avoiding drug interactions

Follow these tips to avoid negative drug interactions:

• Talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Make sure your doctor knows what medicines you are taking (including herbal supplements and other over-the-counter medicines).
  
  
• Read the label. Labels tell you how to take the medicine and contain valuable warning information.
  
  
• Use our online drug interaction checker. Visit Drug Information & Drug Interaction Checker to learn about possible drug interactions.

For more drug safety information:

• Knowing when it’s ok to buy medication online
• Following directions on the drug