When it comes to medications, you always want to make sure you know exactly what the doctor's instructions are for taking them. If you have an infection that is keeping you away from your job you might be tempted to stop taking your antibiotics and return to work as soon as you're feeling better. But, this could just mean your infection comes back. And you should always understand what is required of you in terms of dosage for your medication. This is something that you can discuss with your doctor or your local pharmacist.

The dosage is both the size and the frequency of the dose of medication that you are required to take. When you're given a prescription it could be for a few days to get over pain from a dental procedure or it could be something that you the dentist prescribed that you need to get refilled on a monthly basis. Before you start any new medication you will need to know how much you should be taking at what time and how long you should be going between doses. An excellent example is the great employees at the dental clinic in Gatlinburg. The staff make certain someone from the office sits with each patient to carefully go over their prescription and that they fully understand what the dosage requirements are. They do not want any of their patients leaving with unanswered questions or miscommunication.

This is information that you can get from your doctor during your appointment or later when you're putting in the prescription with your pharmacist. Some people are unaware of how much their pharmacist will know about the medications that they are taking. Ask if you are allowed to mix the new meds with other medications or things like alcohol. They should also take you through the instructions of what your dosage should be. Be certain you don't confuse teaspoon with tablespoon! Here you can find a list of common drug interactions provided by the FDA.

If you're on the same medication for a long period of time then you should make sure that you're meant to stay at the same dosage every time that you go in to get that prescription renewed. You might find that your doctor is working to get you less dependent on a medication for pain while you recover or that you need a different dosage as you adjust to something new. This is definitely something that you should always be certain of and make sure that you get all of your questions answered. When it comes to medication, if you don't know or are not certain ASK!

Common prescription abbreviations you may encounter:
MG = milligram
TBSP = tablespoon
TSP = teaspoon
X = times (5x a day)
N. M. T. = not more than
mL = millilitre