Medicines You Should Never Mix

5 Medicines You Should Never Mix

    

When you’re a nurse, it’s not enough that you know how a drug works. You also have to be aware of how several drugs interact. Mixing two or more medications in a syringe or an infusion pump always carries the risk of interaction so you should always be cautious.

For your patients’ safety, here are the top medicines you should never mix.

1. Antibiotics and vitamins

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is naturally produced by the body. However, in some cases, supplementation is necessary to prevent bleeding and facilitate healing. If your patient is currently taking vitamin K, be cautious when administering antibiotics. Some drugs can kill the good bacteria that can produce the vitamin. One good example is Amoxicillin. Cephalosporins, meanwhile, have the ability to prevent its absorption.

Vitamin C

Patients are often given vitamin C to increase their immune system, promote recovery and facilitate faster wound-healing. Nurses should be careful when administering tetracycline, especially in high doses, since it can lower the effectiveness of the vitamin. This also applies to minocycline and doxycycline.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for your hair, nails and neurological functions. Patients taking this vitamin should not be given antibiotics, particularly tetracycline-based antibiotics since the vitamin can lower the drugs’ ability to kill bacteria. If antibiotics are necessary, be sure to give the vitamins several hours before or after them.