A large share of treatment failure here is not the wrong medicine. It is the right medicine taken for three days, shared with a relative, or bought half a course at a time because of cost. Each of those has a fix.
The rules that matter most
- Finish the course. Especially antibiotics, antimalarials and TB treatment. Feeling better on day two is the medicine working, not the infection gone.
- Take it at the same time every day. Tie it to something fixed: the morning wash, the evening meal.
- Do not share it. The dose depends on weight, on the illness, and on what else the person takes.
- Do not keep leftovers for next time. If there are leftovers, the course was not finished.
- Ask what the medicine is for and write it on the packet. A packet with no name on it is a future mistake.
If you forget a dose
Take it as soon as you remember, unless the next one is nearly due. Then skip the missed one and carry on. Never take two to catch up. For contraception, TB or HIV treatment, follow the specific instruction you were given, because those differ.
When money is the problem
- Say so to the clinician. There is very often a cheaper equivalent of the same drug.
- Ask for the generic. It is the same active medicine at a lower price.
- Buying half a course is worse than useless for antibiotics: it costs money and breeds resistance without curing.
- Ask whether the condition qualifies for a free national programme. TB and HIV treatment are free.
Buying safely
- Buy from a registered pharmacy, not from a table at the roadside. Counterfeit and badly stored medicines are common and can be dangerous.
- Check the expiry date and that the packet is sealed.
- Store in a cool dry place, out of reach of children. Not a hot windowsill, not the bathroom.
Antibiotics specifically
Antibiotics do nothing for colds, flu, most sore throats and most childhood diarrhoea, all of which are viral. Taking them anyway gives you the side effects without the benefit and makes the bacteria in your body harder to treat later. A clinician who does not prescribe an antibiotic is often doing their job, not refusing you.
Tell the clinician about everything you take
Including traditional preparations, herbal remedies and anything bought over the counter. Several common herbal preparations interact with real medicines, blood pressure and diabetes drugs among them. This is not a test; it is the information needed to keep you safe.
Go back if
- A rash, swelling of the face or mouth, or difficulty breathing after a dose. Stop it and go immediately.
- You are no better after the time you were told to expect improvement.
- You are getting worse at any point.
- Side effects you cannot live with. They can usually be managed by changing the drug.
