Medicines and driving

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This article tells you more about your responsibilities if you want to drive when you are taking medicines. This is one of a series of posts to support healthy communities.

All of our branches are becoming healthy living pharmacies. This means that our staff will be looking at the health needs in your local community. They will use this information to plan activities to support your community to improve their health.

Medicines and driving

Did you know that the rate of people killed and seriously injured on roads in Rushcliffe and North West Leicestershire are worse than the national average? These are the areas in which our Ruddington, East Leake and Castle Donington branches are located. This post gives you further information to help you to decide if you can drive whilst taking medicines.

How do I know if I can drive whilst taking my medicines?

It is up to you to decide if your driving is, or might be impaired on any given occasion. However your pharmacist can advise you if a medicine is likely to impair your drive for example by causing you to feel sleepy. Other symptoms that could impair your driving ability include poor co-ordination, slowed thinking, dizziness or visual problems. If you are unsure please ask your pharmacist for advice.

When should I be particularly cautious about driving?

When you first start taking a new medicine your risk of side-effects that might affect your ability to drive is increased. This is also true when you change your dose of medicine or restart a medicine. You could also be at increased risk when you take over the counter medicines or when your health worsens. Sometimes taking a new combination of medicines can increase your risk of side-effects.

If you drink alcohol this will make you more likely to be drowsy and react and think slower. A combination of alcohol and some medicines can substantially increase your risk of accidents.

Where can I go for advice?

Please call into one of our pharmacies for further advice.