Medication Knowledge

So after interviewing my friends and family I realized many of them are unaware of the medication that they take. The individuals who were most aware were my parents and in laws. I’m not sure if it is an age reason, or the fact that they take daily medication for comorbidities such as hypertension and cancer. Not only did they know the name of the medication they were taking, but they also knew dosing and side effects. The people closer to my own age however  were very unaware about  the medications they take. Most of the people I asked do not take anything on a regular basis,  but when asked about common over the counter medicines, many of them were naive to the side effects and correct dosing. To be totally honest, even my own husband has no idea how much Tylenol to take. When he is sick I have to remind him to check labels on cold medicine so he doesn’t consume too much acetaminophen. This is an issue nurses must be aware of though,  and we must know the right questions to ask to assess the history of our patients. In regards to homeopathic medications, I know that many of the individuals who use these remedies do not know that side effects are common and should be anticipated. I have never checked the label on homeopathic remedies, but I would hope that side effects are listed somewhere on the container for consumers to access.