When it comes to medication safety people often hear about proper storage, taking one’s own medication, taking the correct dosage, and not sharing prescriptions. However, it is also important to bring to light another important part of medication safety, and that is black box prescriptions. Read on to learn more about what that means, some of the most common ones, and what serious side effects can come from using those medications.
Healthy Tip Tuesday is brought to you in partnership with Trinity Health Systems.
What is a black box prescription?
- Boxed warnings (formerly known as Black Box Warnings) are the highest safety-related warning that medications can have assigned by the Food and Drug Administration. These warnings are intended to bring the consumer’s attention to the major risks of the drug.
Some of the most commonly heard of medications:
- Singular
- Zoloft
- Prozac
- Faverin
There is a more comprehensive list that can be found here.
What are the side effects associated with these types of medications:
- Suicidal thoughts and planning
- Depression
- Suicidal ideations
- Particularly in the younger population and males
These medications should be easy enough to access and should only be given out with the advisement of a doctor, especially within the first month. As that is when side effects are most likely to manifest. If you or someone you know is taking any of these medications share with them the black box warning, and only take these medications under the regular treatment and communication of a doctor.
