Patient Safety & Responsible Medicine Use
Medicines can provide important benefits, but every medicine can also involve risks. Understanding side effects, interactions, contraindications and when to seek medical help is an essential part of safer medicine use.
This page provides general patient-safety information only. It does not determine whether a particular medicine is suitable for you and does not replace individual assessment, prescribing or advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
What should you check before taking a medicine?
Whether a medicine is appropriate can depend on your medical history, allergies, other medicines, supplements, pregnancy status and many other individual factors.
- ✓ Read the medicine label and the accompanying Patient Information Leaflet before use.
- ✓ Make sure your prescriber or pharmacist knows about other prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and supplements you use.
- ✓ Tell the relevant healthcare professional about allergies and previous reactions to medicines.
- ✓ Discuss important existing medical conditions and relevant changes in your health.
- ✓ Follow the prescribed or labelled directions rather than changing the dose yourself.
- ✓ Ask a pharmacist, prescriber or other qualified healthcare professional if anything is unclear.
Important factors that can affect medicine safety
A medicine that is appropriate for one person may not necessarily be appropriate for another. Clinical context matters.
Other medicines
Prescription and non-prescription medicines can interact with one another, changing their effects or increasing the risk of adverse reactions.
Existing conditions
Heart, liver, kidney, thyroid and other medical conditions may influence whether particular medicines are appropriate or how they should be monitored.
Allergies
Previous allergic or serious adverse reactions to medicines should be disclosed before starting another medicine.
Supplements
Vitamins, herbal products, supplements and other substances can sometimes interact with medicines and should be mentioned when seeking professional advice.
Dose & duration
Taking more than directed, using a medicine more frequently or extending treatment without appropriate advice can increase the risk of harm.
Individual assessment
Age, medical history, monitoring requirements and other individual factors can affect safe medicine use.
What should you do if you experience a side effect?
Medicines can cause unwanted effects. The action you should take depends on the medicine, the symptoms and their severity.
New or unexpected symptoms
If you develop a suspected side effect or feel unwell after taking a medicine, read the Patient Information Leaflet and seek advice from an appropriate healthcare professional.
- Note when the symptoms began.
- Know which medicines and supplements you have taken.
- Do not increase the dose in response to unexpected symptoms.
- Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do if you are unsure.
Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
Serious reactions require urgent assessment. Do not rely on website information when symptoms may represent a medical emergency.
- Severe breathing difficulty.
- Severe swelling of the mouth or throat.
- Collapse or loss of consciousness.
- Other severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.
Know when not to wait
Online information cannot safely assess a potentially serious reaction. If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening or suggest a life-threatening emergency, seek medical help immediately.
Serious breathing problems or rapidly worsening breathing difficulty require urgent medical assessment.
Significant swelling affecting the mouth or airway can be a sign of a serious allergic reaction.
Collapsing, becoming unresponsive or a serious change in consciousness should be treated as an emergency.
If you are seriously unwell or your condition is deteriorating rapidly, seek urgent medical help rather than waiting for online advice.
Seven simple medicine safety principles
Small safety habits can reduce avoidable medicine errors and make it easier to identify potential problems.
Read the leaflet
Review the Patient Information Leaflet supplied with the medicine and retain it for reference.
Follow directions
Use the medicine according to the instructions provided by your prescriber, pharmacist and product information.
Do not share medicines
A medicine prescribed or supplied for one person may not be safe or appropriate for somebody else.
Check expiry information
Check that the medicine has not passed its expiry date and that the packaging appears intact.
Store correctly
Follow the storage instructions shown on the packaging or Patient Information Leaflet and keep medicines away from children.
Keep a medicine list
Keeping an accurate list of medicines and supplements can help healthcare professionals identify potential interactions.
Ask when uncertain
If instructions, side effects, interactions or dosage information are unclear, ask an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Check the medicine you receive
Medicine safety also depends on knowing what product you have received. Do not rely on website images or promotional claims alone.
Report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme
The MHRA Yellow Card Scheme allows patients, members of the public and healthcare professionals to report suspected adverse reactions and other safety concerns involving medicines and healthcare products.
Where should you go for help?
The appropriate source of help depends on how serious the situation is.
Emergency
Use emergency services for life-threatening emergencies or serious reactions requiring immediate medical attention.
NHS emergency guidance ↗Urgent advice in England
NHS 111 can help when you think you need medical help now but the situation is not a life-threatening emergency.
NHS 111 ↗Medicine questions
A pharmacist, prescriber or other appropriate healthcare professional can help explain medicine instructions, potential interactions and side effects.
NHS Medicines A to Z ↗Frequently asked medicine safety questions
Clear answers to common questions about side effects, interactions, medicine safety and reporting concerns in the UK.
Safety and transparency should work together.
Learn more about regulatory verification, medicine authenticity and the steps involved in responsible online medicine processing through our dedicated information pages.
Medical information notice: Content on this page is provided for general educational and patient-safety purposes only. It does not constitute diagnosis, prescribing, treatment advice or an individual assessment of whether any medicine is suitable for you. Always read the medicine-specific information supplied with a medicine and seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional when necessary. In a medical emergency, contact the appropriate emergency service.
