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After seeking medical care, the medical provider may suggest an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine or provide a prescription for medication in order to further treat the aliment. It is imperative that learners understand the directions given in order to reduce mistakes. Prescription drugs come with precise instructions that should be followed carefully. The same goes for OTC medicine. Getting the dosage right for an OTC drug is just as important as it is for a prescription drug. A research study at a public hospital found that English-speaking learners had difficulty reading basic health materials and understanding labels on prescription bottles. If English-speaking learners had trouble, then how do our second language learners fare with comprehension needed with communication between patients and providers?
Medical care has steadily increased the use of medication to treat and cure diseases, prevent life threatening illnesses, relive pain, improve quality of life, limit disease symptoms and progression, and help terminally ill patients. Therefore, it is very important for a learner to understand instructions for taking OTC and/or prescription medication. If medication is not taken correctly, or if it is the wrong medication, there can be devastating results.
It is also known that many medications have side effects (a reaction to a medicine by a person's body). The Federal Citizen Information Center states, "When it comes to using medicine, there is no such thing as completely safe. All medicines have risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a drug means that the benefits outweigh the known risks that are outlined on the drugs label." Some of the more commonly known side effects are nausea, headache, drowsiness, muscle aches, fatigue, or dizziness. However, there could be more serious side effects that a learner would need to know. Health providers expect and encourage questions to be asked for total understanding.
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