FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, medication safety can sometimes fall by the wayside.
With that in mind, the American Pharmacists Association (APA) offers some medication safety reminders and advice.
There are numerous interactions that can occur between alcohol, food and some kinds of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Always talk with your pharmacist about possible interactions. Here are some examples:
The APA suggests occasional holiday heartburn can be treated with an H2-blocker such as Zantac or with an antacid. For people who suffer frequent heartburn (two or more times a week), a proton-pump inhibitor may be appropriate.
For relief of other common stomach ailments such as indigestion, nausea and diarrhea, the APA suggests a multi-symptom stomach remedy such as Pepto-Bismol.
If you're driving to holiday parties, pay attention to medication labels that warn of drowsiness or impaired motor ability. You may have to make other travel arrangements or time your dosage appropriately.
More information
Here's where you can find more medication safety tips.