Medication Review: What It Is and Why It Saves Lives

When you take more than one drug, a medication review, a systematic check of all your drugs to spot risks, gaps, and redundancies. Also known as drug reconciliation, it’s not just for older adults—it’s for anyone on multiple prescriptions, supplements, or over-the-counter meds. Think of it like a safety net for your pills. Many people don’t realize that mixing a common acid reducer with an antifungal can make the antifungal useless. Or that a cheap generic looks totally different from the brand name but works the exact same way. A proper medication review catches these things before they cause harm.

It’s not just about what’s in your bottle. It’s about whether you’re even taking it right. medication adherence, how well you stick to your prescribed schedule is just as important as the drugs themselves. If you skip doses because the pill looks weird, or you stop because it’s too expensive, that’s a red flag. Insurance companies now require prior authorization for generics—even cheap ones—just to delay your treatment. A good review asks: Are you getting the right drug? Are you taking it? And are you being charged fairly?

Then there’s the bigger picture: drug interactions, how one medication changes the way another works in your body. Proton pump inhibitors can block antifungals. L-tryptophan can trigger serotonin syndrome when mixed with antidepressants. Even something as simple as aspirin might help with sleep disorders—or make them worse. These aren’t rare edge cases. They’re everyday risks. And most doctors don’t have time to catch them all. That’s where your own review comes in.

What you’ll find below isn’t a list of random articles. It’s a toolkit. Each post tackles a real, common problem you might not even know you’re facing: why your generic looks different, how insurance blocks cheap meds, what happens when your blood pressure drug affects your skin, or how a new hepatitis C combo cures over 95% of cases. These aren’t theory pieces. They’re the kind of info that stops you from wasting money, risking your health, or getting fooled by marketing. You don’t need a pharmacy degree to use this. You just need to ask the right questions—and we’ve already done the digging for you.

How to Check for Drug Interactions Before Starting New Medications: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to check for dangerous drug interactions before starting new medications. Get practical steps to protect yourself from preventable side effects, hospitalizations, and even death.

Read More