Do You Know What These Common Warning Labels Mean?

Heidi Ault, PharmD Candidate 2007
Mylan School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
Prepared during Consumer Health Information Corporation Clerkship
McLean, VA

May Cause Drowsiness or Dizziness:
The picture shows a person seeing stars or feeling dizzy like the Tasmanian Devil. Therefore you should use caution with actions such as driving a car, using machinery, or sitting in a hot bath when taking this prescription medication.

Shake well:
The picture shows a bottle being shaken. This label is on some liquid medications such as antibiotics for children. The reason for shaking the medication is because the drug settles to the bottom. In order to measure an accurate dose, the bottle needs to shaken to mix the drug. This should be done with the lid on securely for at least 30 seconds.

Take medication on an empty stomach 1 hour before or 2 to 3 hours after a meal unless otherwise directed by your doctor:
The picture shows a stomach with the words empty written inside the stomach. This illustrates that the prescription drug should NOT be taken with food. The directions are to take the medication one of two ways. Either take the medication 1 hour before a meal such as breakfast or take the medication 2 to 3 hours after finishing eating.

This warning label is for medicines that need to be taken when there is no food in the stomach. For these medications, food could prevent all of the drug from being absorbed from the stomach. If you are unsure of when to take the medication, ask your pharmacist.

Take with food:
The picture shows a slice of bread and crackers. The directions are to take the medication with food. This message is for medicines that need food in the stomach to either help the drug to be absorbed or to prevent an upset stomach after taking the medication.

Do not drink alcoholic beverages when taking this medication:
The picture shows a martini glass with an slash across it. When a slash is across any object, this means this should be avoided. The directions are to not drink any alcohol containing products while taking the medication.

The use of alcohol with some prescription medications can cause unwanted side effects such as drowsiness, decrease the effectiveness of the medication, and/or decrease your reflexes such as when driving a car.

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