The “as needed” portion of sleep medicine directions is where some reasonable pharmacist counseling should come in, reports Pharmacy Times.
There are indications where the physician will have their patient take a sleep medication on a nightly basis; however, when taken on a nightly basis, it’s likely that the patient will develop a tolerance to the medication over time. As tolerance develops, it will appear that the medication isn’t working as well, and the patient may ask the doctor to increase the dosage. An increased dosage may then be effective for some length of time, but again, tolerance may build up, and once again it’ll seem that the medication isn’t working as well.
