Question

a friend was prescribed this medication by his doctor. they are taking one tablet with breakfast and a glass of water. sometimes he will take an antacid 5 hours later if he has a stomach ache. based on this label below, is your friend taking this prescribed medication correctly?
peter peterson
levothyroxine sodium 50 mcg tabs
take one tablet by mouth once daily
prescribed by: i. ivanson
rx# 1237890-995
... (prescription details)
options:
yes, because they are taking the medication with breakfast.
yes, because they are taking the correct amount every day.
no, because they should not be taking an antacid while on this medication.
no, because they need to take it a half hour to one hour before breakfast.
clear all

Explanation:

To determine if the friend is taking the medication correctly, we analyze the prescription label. The label states to take the tablet "one half hour to one hour before breakfast" and also mentions to avoid antacids within 4 hours (or similar timing, but the key here is the timing relative to breakfast). The friend is taking it with breakfast, which does not match the prescription's instruction of taking it a half hour to one hour before breakfast. Let's analyze each option:

• Option 1: Incorrect, as the label says to take before breakfast, not with.
• Option 2: Incorrect, while the amount (one tablet daily) is correct, the timing is wrong, so this is not the full reason.
• Option 3: The label's note about antacids is about waiting 4 hours after taking the medication (or before), but the main issue here is the timing of the medication relative to breakfast, not just the antacid. So this is not the primary reason.
• Option 4: Correct, because the prescription specifies taking it a half hour to one hour before breakfast, and the friend is taking it with breakfast.

Answer:

D. No, because they need to take it a half hour to one hour before breakfast.