Medicine pack check sheet

Source-linked reading points

• Hypotension, dizziness, syncope, bradycardia or atrioventricular block can increase fall and acute risk. Older adults, people using several medicines or those with heart-rate/conduction problems should have pulse, symptoms, every pack and the prescription reviewed together. Severe fainting, chest pain, breathing difficulty or altered awareness needs local emergency care.
• The label warns about heart failure and impaired cardiac contractility. If a beta blocker, digoxin, clonidine, amiodarone or another heart-rate/conduction/blood-pressure medicine is also present, do not self-space, add, reduce, alternate or choose one to stop first.
• Constipation is common, and the label also records rare non-obstructive paralytic ileus. Persistent distension, severe abdominal pain, vomiting or inability to pass gas or stool needs timely medical assessment, not only a web search for a laxative plan.
• The label lists interaction cues with simvastatin, lovastatin and other CYP3A4 substrates/inhibitors, digoxin, lithium and grapefruit juice. The site does not decide co-use, dose reduction or timing from two medicine or food names.