What’s in a pill? The drug manufacturing industry is a massive one that is growing bigger each day. While our gamut of diseases, and affinity for pills, is definitely one reason for the boom, the other reason is the heavy marketing costs incurred by the drug manufacturing companies, which could have otherwise gone in research and product development.

The result is a plethora of over-the-counter pills and prescription drugs that have dangerous side-effects and can cause permanent damage to your life. How do you protect yourself against these dangerous medicines in the garb of healers?

Here are some points to keep in mind when dealing with the epidemic of defective and dangerous drugs.

The world wide net has made us much more informed and educated about what is happening around us. But, keeping your eyes and ears open along with your Google search bar is always a good idea, especially when it comes to things that will go into your body.

Find out which over-the-counter drugs are causing maximum harm. From aspirin to ibuprofen, everything has a set of side-effects that can cause harm to your body. Know which are the banned drugs. Don’t go and pick them up from illegal websites. There are quite a few out there. Be aware of counterfeit drugs. Before using a medicine, carefully check its physical appearance, (e.g., color, texture, and smell). If you detect anything dubious, report to your pharmacist immediately.

A medicine calendar can help you curtail a lot of damages. Pills have become a part of our lifestyle, and we often end up taking too much too frequently without even knowing it. A medicine calendar will help you record the time and dosage for each medication. This will prevent you from taking too much medicine. It will also prevent mix ups of medicine as you can tabulate in the calendar what medicine you are taking for what. Also, make a note in the calendar if any of the medications that lead to any side-effects. This will prevent you from taking up that medication again.

It may seem like too much of a hassle to consult a doctor every time. Many of us just end up repeating our prescription drugs when a similar ailment strikes again. However, staying in constant touch with the doctor is always a good idea. Share your condition with your doctor. Ask as many questions as possible about your ailment, as well as the medication. This will make intake of medicines much safer. At the least, consult a pharmacist before self-prescribing yourself. Chances of consuming harmful drugs drop when it is done in consultation with a medical professional. 

If you have kids and teenagers at home, and are one of those who tend to keep medicines lying around, it’s time you buckle down. Kids are naive and may often end up popping a pill lying around carelessly. It could have serious implications.

On the other hand, teenagers are always experimenting and curious. Your teenage boy may be suffering from a setback at school, and seeing your anti-depression pills lying there may be too tempting to avoid popping one of them. Before you know, the pills in your bottle are getting consumed sooner than you think, and perhaps your teenager is addicted to your medicines. It is advisable that you have a separate medicine cabinet, where you store all your medicines, know about their possible side-effects, and warn children of them. Also, keeping the medicines inaccessible reduces the temptation, and possibility of such occurrences.

Medicines are not the solution. Indiscriminate use of over-the-counter drugs as well as prescribed medicines can have adverse effects on the body. Do not make pills your go-to solution for everything. Keep a check on how many pills you are popping, if they are actually solving the purpose, or just providing you temporary relief. Be conscious if you are getting addicted and consult a doctor immediately. Chances are, you are resorting to a drug that has certain addictive properties in it.

Also, medicines should be kept in their original containers. Some of us, for practical purposes, store prescription pills in vitamins bottles. This could prove dangerous, as you might end up taking a drug rather than a vitamin at some point.

Buying drugs on the internet is risky. Period. Though we know that there are a lot of authentic and great websites out there, one cannot deny that there are many unsafe websites, too, that are delivering drugs to unsuspecting individuals that aren’t safe to use. These websites deliver counterfeit drugs, drugs that are not FDA approved, and drugs that contain the wrong active ingredients.

Consumption of such drugs can trigger dangerous side-effects. Refer to the standards of the U.S Food and Drug Administration to know the do’s and don’ts of buying medicine online and how to differentiate a trustworthy website from an unsafe one. 

However, in spite of all the precautions that we take, there is no denying that we do resort to drugs when we are in pain or agony. What happens when these drugs that were supposed to heal you take a toll on your health and cause severe damages to your body or, in some extreme cases, death?

Medical damages and death are permanent scars that never heal, but the drug manufacturers must take responsibility for the course of action and compensate the victim appropriately. There are multiple reasons why these dangerous drugs exist in the market. To acquire a larger share, some of them are thrown into the market without adequate research. Though the manufacturers are well aware of their consequences, the drugs are made available to the public. There is litigation going on against a number of prescription drugs. Renowned Connecticut defective drug lawyer recommends, “ If you suspect or face any medical adversities on consuming a particular prescription drug, you must consult an attorney who can seamlessly blend defective drug, personal injury, and product liability lawsuits to fight for you and get you the best results.” 

Being alert and informed can help you protect yourself and your dear ones from defective drugs injury, but if you face adverse consequences due to defective drug, take legal action immediately and make everyone aware of the damage the drug can cause.