Not long ago, the media reported that Ms. Zhang, who has a history of hypertension for over a year, chose to take the antihypertensive drug nifedipine controlled-release tablets by biting her teeth. In less than half an hour, Ms. Zhang suddenly had black eyes, cold sweat, and physical weakness. She collapsed on the sofa and was urgently taken to the hospital by her family. Originally, the antihypertensive medication Ms. Zhang was taking was nifedipine controlled-release tablets, and one tablet of this medication was equivalent to the dose of three regular nifedipine tablets. Once bitten, broken, or ground, large doses of antihypertensive medication will be instantly released into the body, causing a rapid drop in blood pressure. In daily life, which drug formulations should not be opened or chewed when taken? What are the precautions we need to take when taking medication and storing drugs? Let the pharmacist explain in detail for you. These types of drugs cannot be separated and taken with controlled-release tablets. Controlled release tablets are wrapped with an insoluble semi permeable membrane shell that allows water to enter but the drug cannot exit. They are released at a constant rate in the body, maintaining their efficacy for a long time and reducing the number of times they are taken. The speed at which ordinary pills take effect, absorb, and disappear is usually around 4 to 6 hours. Patients need to take the medication three times within 24 hours, while controlled-release tablets can release the dosage at a constant rate, which is three times that of ordinary pills. Patients only need to take them once a day, and the efficacy is released at a constant rate in the body for about 24 hours. The reason why controlled-release tablets can be released at a constant rate and slowly in the body is because they use a special formulation process. Patients should swallow the entire tablet, bite, chew, or break the tablet, which will destroy the constant rate and slow release function of the controlled-release tablet. This is equivalent to patients taking three times the dosage. The process of sustained-release tablets is different from that of controlled-release tablets, but the purpose is the same, which is to slowly release drugs in the body. It is usually not recommended to take sustained-release tablets by splitting them apart, as this can also lead to rapid drug release and adverse reactions. Generally speaking, tablets that can be opened and taken will have scratches on them. For example, metoprolol sustained-release tablets can be opened and taken along the scratches, but should not be chewed or ground. Enteric coated tablets are coated with a layer of "enteric coating" to allow drugs to bypass the stomach and dissolve in the intestine. If it is broken open and taken, the drug may dissolve in the stomach, which not only easily leads to the drug being affected by stomach acid and other factors and becoming ineffective, but also may stimulate the gastric mucosa and cause discomfort. Once the capsule is opened and taken, the drug may be affected by stomach acid and cannot be released in specific areas, affecting its efficacy and potentially increasing adverse reactions to the gastrointestinal tract. Here is a small tip for taking capsules. When taking capsule drugs, you can tilt your head slightly forward and swallow the capsule and water together without looking up because the capsule is lighter than water and looking up will make it float. Attention, avoid lying down immediately after taking to prevent the capsule from sticking to the esophagus. Effervescent tablets contain sodium bicarbonate and organic acids. When in contact with water, they can produce carbon dioxide gas and appear effervescent. Direct consumption can produce a large amount of gas in the mouth or digestive tract, posing a risk of suffocation and gastric perforation. Therefore, it must be dissolved in cold water or warm water and taken only after the bubbles have completely disappeared. Chewing, swallowing, or swallowing is strictly prohibited. The order of medication should be remembered, and patients should carefully read the instructions and follow the doctor's advice before taking the medication. At the same time, they should also understand the timing and order of taking different drugs, otherwise it may affect the efficacy of the drugs and even cause adverse reactions. Patients usually take traditional Chinese medicine with a half-hour interval from Western medicine. Nourishing drugs are suitable for taking before meals. For drugs that are not specifically indicated in the instructions, especially those that are irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, it is generally advisable to take them half an hour after meals. It should be emphasized that patients should avoid drinking alcohol during the use of sedative and hypnotic drugs. Alcohol itself has a central inhibitory effect, and sedative and hypnotic drugs also have a central inhibitory effect. If you take hypnotic drugs while drinking alcohol, it will aggravate the adverse reactions of central inhibition. Improper storage or affecting drug efficacy during medication, patients should also pay attention to the storage of drugs, including whether there are special requirements for temperature, humidity, etc., to avoid affecting the efficacy of drugs and causing adverse effects. Some biological agents, such as insulin, need to be stored within 2 ℃ to 8 ℃. If the temperature is too high or too low, insulin will become inactive, thereby affecting the efficacy. In addition to temperature and humidity, there are also some drugs that are sensitive to light and easily decompose when exposed to light, which may cause the drugs to lose or reduce their efficacy. These drugs need to be stored away from light. (Xinhua News Agency) Article/Liu Fang, Liu Ying, Sun Zhengyuan (Peking University Third Hospital)