Episode 14 — A medicine in plain terms: how do you know what it actually is

I was at the chemist today for some Panadol.

They were out, so the pharmacist gave me something else.

Said it's got the same active substance.

I get home, look at the box.

Completely different name.

And I'm standing there like a lemon.

How am I meant to know if it really is the same?

That's one of the most common questions in a home medicine cabinet.

And here, as it happens, the app doesn't have to pretend to be a doctor to help you.

Meaning?

You open the medicine in the Moya Patechka app, and, under the brand name, you've got the active substance.

Panadol's active substance is paracetamol.

You take that second box, you look at its active substance,

and if that says paracetamol too, then you know this much.

The active substance is the same.

That's still not a decision to swap them, or about how to take it.

If you're in any doubt at all, you ask the pharmacist, or your GP.

So the app tells me what this medicine actually is,

not just what it's called in the adverts.

Exactly.

The brand name changes, but the active substance tells you what's actually inside.

And that's the first step to a medicine in plain terms, knowing what the thing even is.

All right, but sometimes I want to know more.

What it's for?

How to store it?

Whether there are any contraindications?

Usually I end up googling it and landing on some random forum.

And that's the second thing.

The app shows you extracts from the summary of product characteristics,

that official document, right there in the app.

Sections like indications, storage, contraindications, side effects.

Where does it get that from?

Because it sounds like the sort of thing someone could have made up off the top of their head.

Not off the top of anyone's head.

It's taken from the official product characteristics for that particular medicine,

from an official medicines register.

So you read the extracts right there in the app,

and for the patient information leaflet and the full characteristics,

you follow a link through to the official file.

Hang on.

So the app's telling me how to take it?

No.

And this is the most important distinction in the whole episode.

What you're seeing is the official text,

shown as an extract from the summary of product characteristics.

Even the section on dosing is an extract from that document,

not advice from the app.

The app doesn't interpret it.

It doesn't judge whether the medicine's right for you.

On every one of those screens it says,

in so many words,

this is for information only.

It's not medical advice.

Consult your doctor or pharmacist.

OK.

So the app doesn't pretend to be a doctor.

It shows you the official paperwork

and tells you itself that it isn't advice.

That's how it works.

There's a difference between

showing the official information

and advising you.

The app does the first.

The decision about whether and how to take something

isn't made in the app.

You settle that with your GP or pharmacist,

and you do as they say.

That's honest, to be fair,

because half the internet does the exact opposite.

And one more thing I like.

Those extracts from the characteristics

you can translate on your phone.

Polish, English, Ukrainian, Russian.

The translation happens on the device itself.

That one's genuinely useful.

My mum sometimes finds Ukrainian easier to read,

and the box is in another language.

Precisely.

It translates the extract you're reading,

not the whole database at once.

And what if I haven't got the box in my hand?

I just want to check something quickly.

There's a separate medication database.

You type in a name, say Panadol,

and you see the active substance,

the strength, the form.

The whole database,

around 70,000 medicines from the register,

works without a connection too,

once you've synced the first time.

You don't have to scan anything

just to look something up.

And where does all this data come from

in the first place?

Because if the app's telling me

something about a medicine,

I want to know it isn't somebody's guesswork.

Quite right.

The medicine data comes from

an official medicines register,

a public source.

The full documents,

the characteristics and the leaflet,

come from an official register too.

The app doesn't invent anything.

It organises it and shows it in one place.

So, a medicine in plain terms

doesn't mean the app will explain to me

what to do?

No.

A medicine in plain terms means

you know what the substance is,

you've got the official information to hand

instead of a random forum,

you can translate it,

and for advice,

you still go to a person.

The app shortens the path

to the official source.

It doesn't replace the conversation

with your GP or pharmacist.

Right.

I'll buy that.

Literally and figuratively.

And by the by,

everything I'm talking about here

is a real feature.

I'm being specific

so it's clear what the app does

and what it doesn't.

If you'd like to give it a go,

that's the Moya Pteczka app.

The app is free and works offline.

You'll find the link

in the episode description.

And if you enjoyed the episode,

share it with someone

who looks at every new box

and wonders,

what actually is this?

One more thing before we go.

This podcast is made

with the help

of artificial intelligence.

I wrote the dialogue myself,

but the voices you're hearing

aren't ours.

They're AI-generated,

synthetic voices.

We're telling you this

straight out

because we think

it should be the standard

for any podcast

made this way.

Full details

are in the show notes

and in every episode description.

And what's the next episode about?

About how not to lose track

when your medicines

are in several places at once.

At home,

in the car,

in a bag,

at the allotment.

Until next time.

Until next time.

you