Medicines

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

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• Related Issues

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Women
• Older Adults
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Medicines can treat diseases and improve your health. If you are like most people, you need to take medicine at some point in your life. You may need to take medicine every day, or you may only need to take medicine once in a while. Either way, you want to make sure that your medicines are safe, and that they will help you get better. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is in charge of ensuring that your prescription and over-the-counter medicines are safe and effective.

There are always risks to taking medicines. It is important to think about these risks before you take a medicine. Even safe medicines can cause unwanted side effects or interactions with food, alcohol, or other medicines you may be taking. Some medicines may not be safe during pregnancy. To reduce the risk of reactions and make sure that you get better, it is important for you to take your medicines correctly. You should also be careful when giving medicines to children, since they can be more vulnerable to the effects of medicines.

Start Here

• Drugs@FDA: FDA Approved Drug Products (Food and Drug Administration)
• Index to Drug-Specific Information (Food and Drug Administration)
• Information for Consumers and Patients (Drugs) (Food and Drug Administration)
• MedlinePlus: Drug Information (National Library of Medicine) - Information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements Also in Spanish
• Think It Through: Managing the Benefits and Risks of Medicines (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Pharmacogenetic Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Pharmacogenetics: How Genetic Testing Can Guide Medicine Decisions (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Biosimilar and Interchangeable Biologics: More Treatment Choices (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Generic Drugs Undergo Rigorous FDA Review (Food and Drug Administration)
• Generic Drugs: Questions & Answers (Food and Drug Administration)
• Herbal Supplements and Heart Medicines May Not Mix (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• How to get prescription drug coverage (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
• How to Use Transdermal Patches (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists)
• Liquid Medications (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists)
• Mixing Medications and Dietary Supplements Can Endanger Your Health (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Some Medicines and Driving Don't Mix (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Understanding Unapproved Use of Approved Drugs "Off Label" (Food and Drug Administration)
• Using Medicines Wisely (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Therapeutic Drug Use (National Center for Health Statistics)
• How Do Medicines Work? (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
• LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; National Library of Medicine)
• What Happens to Medicine in Your Body? (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
• What is Pharmacology? (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Impact of supply chain disruptions and drug shortages on drug utilization:...
• Article: Important aspects of experiences from patients and parents related to medications...
• Article: Medication use before and during pregnancy in Japan: the Tohoku Medical...
• Medicines -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Some Medicines and Driving Don't Mix (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• Food and Drug Administration

Children

• Medicines and Children: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Understanding Medications and What They Do (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

• Osteoporosis (Endocrine Society)

Older Adults

• 5 Medication Safety Tips for Older Adults (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• As You Age: You and Your Medicines (Food and Drug Administration)
• Medications Older Adults Should Avoid or Use With Caution (AGS Health in Aging Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Drawing medicine out of a vial (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• How and when to get rid of unused medicines (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• How to save money on medicines (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• IV treatment at home (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Storing your medicines (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Therapeutic drug levels (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish