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Release Date: December 2008

GUIDE TO TAKING MEDICINE

Sorting through medication labels and managing both over-the-counter and prescription drugs can be very confusing. That’s why the Federal Citizen Information Center and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health have put together the Guide to Taking Medicine, a free package of publications that will help you better understand what you need to know before you take any medication.

When you see your doctor, it can be hard to know what to ask about medicines you’re already taking or those being prescribed. Use the fact sheets in the Guide to Taking Medicine package for a list of essential questions. The package also explains how to read prescription medication labels and spot red flags you should follow up on. For example, is your medicine an antibiotic? It’s important to know that antibiotics work differently than other drugs. The Guide to Taking Medicine package explains these differences and lets you know what illnesses antibiotics can treat, what they can’t treat, and how to use them properly.

There is plenty you can do to take care of your body in addition to chicken soup and the right medication. You may benefit from taking a dietary supplement on a daily basis. The Guide to Taking Medicine package explains the function of vitamins and what you need to consider before you take them with any other medications.

Don’t let reading medicine labels, managing your prescription and over-the-counter medications, or taking dietary supplements be a confusing experience. Use the free Guide to Taking Medicine package so you can stay in control of the medications and supplements you’re taking. There are three easy ways to place your order:

  • Send your name and address to Guide to Taking Medicine, Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

  • Visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/n83guidetotakingmedicine.htm to place your order online or to read or print these and hundreds of other Federal publications for free.

  • Or call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That’s 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time and ask for the Guide to Taking Medicine package.

Get even more information and take advantage of online government resources at www.USA.gov and www.GobiernoUSA.gov—your official English and Spanish web portals to the Federal government.

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  • Please check with Colleen Bayus if you plan to use this release after March 15, 2009.
  • To receive New for Consumers releases by e-mail, send a request to rebecca.fulcher(at)gsa.gov or call (202) 501-1794.

GSA #2894

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