Read the label every time you take an over-the-counter medicine or a prescription medicine. When you take your prescription to be filled, the pharmacist will give you a sheet of paper that gives you more information about the drug you are taking.

The label on your medicine will tell you:

· The product name
· Active ingredients
· Product category, such as pain reliever, antacid, or cough suppressant
· What the medicine will treat or prevent
· When not to take the medicine, possible side effects, or when to stop taking it
· How to take it, such as with food
· When to take it, such as three times a day
· How long to take it, such as no more than seven days
· Other information, such as how to store the drug
· Inactive ingredients, such as coloring, binders, or flavoring

For more information on what a drug label tells you, go to http://www.bemedwise.org/label/label.htm#