6 things you must know about your medications

What do good mystery novels and new prescriptions have in common? Both can keep you guessing. About 75 million Americans are helped by meds each year, but 1.5 million people are harmed. How do you tilt the table more in your favor? Get these six facts every time you're given a new drug:

1. The trade or generic name of the medication. Many drugs sound the same - witness Zyrtec (for allergies) and Zyprexa (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). Their generic names (cetirizine and olanzapine) help clear up confusion.

2. Why you need it.

3. How long you should keep taking it. If you think it's a blood pressure pill, but it's really for a sinus infection, you don't want to keep refilling it. Conversely, don't do a Clinton and get a heart attack because you stop taking a drug without telling your doctor. There's only one good reason you should ever stop taking the meds you are supposed to take: Your doctor tells you to.

4. The potential side effects. Find out what to look for and what to tell your doc. If you do not have a partner, you may not want a drug whose side effect is that it increases your libido.

5. How much you should take.

6. How many doses you need, and when you should take them. Write down the answer. One study found that people's brains play an evil trick: After being given a very clear order, such as "don't take this pill in the evening," they'll remember broad details - "pill," "evening" - but not the specifics. Guess what happens.

The YOU Docs, Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz, are authors of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and "YOU: On a Diet." To submit questions, go to RealAge.com, the docs' online home. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.