WebMD Ask the Pharmacist

Common Drug Questions: Ask the Pharmacist

Kristen Binaso, RPh, CCP, FASCP answers common questions about drugs, including dosages, drug interactions, and over-the-counter medicines.

Question:

What is prednisolone used for?

Answer:

This is a good example of a question that you can ask your pharmacist! Prednisolone is a steroid that has anti-inflammatory properties. It is used to treat a variety of inflammatory conditions including asthma, colitis, skin rashes, and allergic and inflammatory conditions of the nose and eye.

Question:

Is there a problem with orange juice or just grapefruit juice and blood pressure or cholesterol medication?

Answer:

This is a very popular question that we get at the pharmacy. Grapefruit juice is one of the ones that we have very good data on as far as what medications it can affect. I would advise to be careful with orange juice because some varieties are enriched with calcium, which could possibly bind to a medication and not make it work as well. Orange juice can also interact with some medications to treat other conditions, like allergies. My rule of thumb is to take medications with a full glass of water -- it really is the best beverage to use to avoid any possible interactions.

Question:

Is there a best time of day to start and take a once-a-week dosage of methotrexate?

Answer:

A great question that you can always ask your pharmacist when you are picking up your medication. There really isn’t any "best" time to take this medication, but I would recommend taking it at a time that you feel you can remember (such as the morning when you wake up), and take it on the same day each week. You may want to mark it on your calendar so you remember to take it consistently.

Question:

I am taking lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide. Should I take them at the same time?

Answer:

Great question! Yes, you can take the lisinopril and hydrochlorthiazide at the same time. It is best to take the hydrochlorthiazide in the morning since it is a diuretic or "water pill." If you take it at night, you will probably not get a good night's sleep because you will need to make trips to the bathroom.

Question:

What kind of over-the-counter medicine can I take for stuffy head, runny nose, etc.? I am diabetic.

Answer:

Great question, but I would need some more information from you in order to be able to answer it. I would like to know what type of diabetic you are, what are your current medications (so get that medication list ready!), along with some questions about how long you have had the symptoms, and exactly what the symptoms are. All of this information is very important to help pharmacists help you!

Question:

My doctor just put me on penicillin for tonsillitis. Will I be able to have a couple of alcoholic drinks at the party later?

Answer:

This is a really frequent question I get from a lot of patients at the pharmacy, and my rule of thumb is that you should not drink any type of alcoholic beverages when you are on medication. Patients have various reactions when they take medications and have alcoholic beverages -- from loss of balance, to dizziness, to rashes, so it is better to be safe than sorry.

Question:

Can you tell me the best way to get rid of old prescriptions without flushing down the drain?

Answer:

This is an excellent question, because there is an alternate way to dispose of medications without flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the sink (which is not recommended anymore). You need some common household items to dispose of your medications the new way: a plastic zipper top bag, some coffee grinds or kitty litter.

Basically, take the medication and place it in the plastic zipper top bag. Place the coffee grinds or kitty litter in the bag, zip it up, and place it in the trash.

Question:

What is a calcium channel blocker?

Answer:

This is a perfect type of question to ask your pharmacist about! Calcium channel blockers are used in the treatment of high blood pressure, since they relax and open up the narrowed blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

Question:

I know most medications have an expiration date, but what does that actually mean? Are there any pills that really don't 'expire' within a year? So how safe it is to take 'expired' medications?

Answer:

Ah, what a great question. I think I have a great answer! When you have medications in your house, you can't guarantee that they are stored in the correct conditions (I bet many folks still keep everything in their bathroom cabinet). Medications in the home get exposed to heat, cold, moisture, light, etc., unlike when they are stored in a pharmacy in their original container.

This can lead to the breaking down of the medication, which could cause the medication to not work as well, or you can have an actual reaction to the components of the medication breaking down (so to answer your question, it is not safe). If you notice on your prescription bottles, it should have an expiration date from 1 year from the date you got the medication filled. This is to protect you from the possible scenarios I described above. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Question:

Is there a general rule to how many drugs you can safely take in combination?

Answer:

Good question! There really is no general rule, but I would recommend to always ask your health care provider or pharmacist first before you consider taking a new medication in addition to other medications. They will be able to double check and provide you with guidance on whether or not the medications can be taken together. You should always carry a medication list with all of your medications, including over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements.

Question:

Can my son keep taking his daily multivitamin, like the gummy bear, while he is sick, while he has a cold, cough, or fever?

Answer:

Good question. It is fine for your son to keep taking his daily multivitamin. You want to check with the pharmacist if he ends up on medication because sometimes, you have to space the vitamin with medicine, depending on what the components are in the vitamin he is taking. Remember, your pharmacist is a great resource for questions like this!

Question:

Are there any proven across-the-counter drugs to treat ED?

Answer:

I am unaware of any over-the-counter products that are effective for treating ED (erectile dysfunction).

Question:

What is the suggested limit of acetaminophen a day for pain for an 87-year-old male?

Answer:

Good question, because a lot of people don't know that we have to lower the dose in the elderly. The current limit should be 2,000 mg/day. So if you have 500 mg acetaminophen tablets, the patient can only have 4 tablets in a 24-hour period.

Always talk to your pharmacist if you have any questions about acetaminophen dosing, and make sure you check your other medications (especially prescription ones) to see if they also contain acetaminophen. Many folks take OTC acetaminophen along with prescription and don't realize it, so they are actually going over the daily limit.

Question:

I had my left thyroid removed, and I'm supposed to be taking 75 micrograms of Synthroid, but I don't have insurance and can't get my prescription. Are there other OTC alternatives I can take?

Answer:

Unfortunately, these types of medication require a prescription because you have to be monitored. There are no OTC alternatives available. Have you asked your health care provider if you can take the generic, levothyroxine? I know it is a common drug on many community pharmacy $4 lists. You may want to ask about it!

It is important that you also tell your health care provider that you have not been taking your medication because you can’t afford it. This is an important tip that you need to tell them, so they can prescribe the correct dose for you.

Question:

My mother-in-law is in an assisted living facility and needs a narcotic drug. The facility is telling us that they cannot receive a faxed prescription from her doctor for a narcotic, and we would have to go pick it up. Is this true, and what happens to those individuals that have no one to pick up a prescription?

Answer:

This is actually true. There are strict regulations around narcotic prescriptions. They cannot be faxed or called in via telephone. Some health care providers will mail the patients the prescriptions. For those patients that may not have access, they may need to move to a different part of the facility so they can receive medications through the long-term care provider pharmacy.

Question:

What can I get in an OTC treatment for athlete's foot?

Answer:

There are a variety of over-the-counter treatments available for athlete's foot. I would need to ask you some questions about what it looks like, how long you have had it, and what your exact symptoms are to be able to match a product that could help you. I would encourage you to talk to your pharmacist, and keep in mind that it could take 4 to 6 weeks for it to fully resolve and go away with treatment.

Question:

I have a bad chest cold. I took a breathing treatment of albuterol. Can I also take a Mucinex DM or Nyquil?

Answer:

This question piqued my interest, because I would like to ask this patient if they were advised by their health care provider to use the albuterol for the bad chest cold. I would need to ask this patient exactly what their symptoms are to advise what they may be able to do or take.

I generally get concerned when people have a "heavy chest," because it could be an infection, so I usually end up advising patients to make an appointment to see their health care provider for further evaluation. Make sure you bring your medication list with you to that appointment, and include your over-the-counter medications and vitamins/supplements.

Question:

Is it OK to use the Vagisil cream while pregnant to help with redness and a little burning?

Answer:

Great question. I would definitely check with your ob-gyn first before using any OTC treatment like Vagisil for the redness and burning. It's best to be evaluated by a health care provider to make sure it is not something like an infection.

Question:

How does a layman compare vitamins and supplements for quality?

Answer:

This is an excellent question because I always get asked about this topic. The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is a scientific, not-for-profit organization that sets public standards for medicines, supplements, and food ingredients. Only those products that meet its stringent criteria are permitted to display the USP Verified Mark on their label.

As a pharmacist, I always look for the USP mark on products, because I can be assured that the manufacturer has met requirements for quality. There are a few manufacturers that are commonly found in many community pharmacies that have the USP label so I would highly recommend using that as a guide. If you have any additional questions, please talk to your pharmacist, and get to know them on a first name basis.

Question:

Can my husband take his normal Cialis and Viagra together if just taking one doesn't quite ... do the trick? He's taking a 10 mg dosage currently of Cialis but wondering if adding a new brand would help increase the results.

Answer:

I would not recommend taking both together. He could be at serious risk for side effects, including issues with his heart. Always double check with your health care provider or pharmacist before taking medication.

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