Medication Safety Insights

A pharmacist-written 5-part series on GLP-1 medications — covering global use, cultural foods, hidden drug interactions, life after stopping, and GLP-1 burnout. Start here to read the full series in order.

When a pharmacist looks at the medication list of a patient starting Ozempic or Wegovy, we see something most prescribers don't have time to discuss. GLP-1 medications change how your body absorbs thyroid medication, birth control, blood thinners, and dozens of supplements. Here is what you need to know.

These medications are hard. Not in the way a complex dosing schedule is hard — in a quieter, more insidious way. After months of managing side effects, watching the scale plateau, and navigating the social dimensions of not eating normally, many patients hit a wall. That wall has a name.

When Food Meets Medicine is launching April 7, 2026 — a free weekly podcast hosted by Dr. Remi Olukoya, PharmD, exploring the critical intersection of food and medication for families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals worldwide.

A woman named Grace called her daughter crying. She had started her GLP-1 medication and felt sick every time she ate. She thought she had to give up her cultural food. She was wrong — and so is every patient who has made that same assumption. Here is what your pharmacist wants you to know about eating your cultural foods on Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro.

Week 4 (final) of our fasting series: How to safely transition back to normal eating and medication schedules after Ramadan and Lent. Covers the refeeding challenge, medication dose readjustment, post-fasting blood work, and GLP-1 medication management after fasting ends.

If you stopped a GLP-1 medication and regained weight, you did not fail. Your biology did exactly what it was designed to do. Here is what happens inside your body when you stop — and the strategy that determines whether your results last.

You fasted all day, broke your fast with your favorite meal, and took your medication. But what if that meal is quietly working against your prescription? From zobo in Nigeria to ackee in Jamaica to chai in India — here is what you need to know.

Every week I fill prescriptions for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro — and every week patients leave the pharmacy with very little real information about how to use them well. This is the full picture: what these medications actually do, what to eat, the risks, and what happens when you stop.

Week 3 of our fasting series: Can you fast safely with diabetes? Learn about GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy) during Ramadan and Lent, which diabetes medications are high-risk, blood sugar monitoring guidelines, and when you must break your fast immediately.

Aging changes how your body processes medications. Learn which drugs to avoid and dosing adjustments needed.

Week 2 of our fasting series: Learn which foods to eat (and avoid) when breaking your fast while on medications. Covers grapefruit, pomegranate, high-potassium foods, dairy interactions, and safe alternatives for Iftar and Suhoor.

Your complete guide to timing every cholesterol-lowering medication — from statins and ezetimibe to PCSK9 inhibitors (Repatha, Praluent), niacin, omega-3s (Vascepa, Lovaza), bile acid sequestrants, fibrates, bempedoic acid (Nexletol), and inclisiran (Leqvio). Learn exactly when and how to take each one for maximum effectiveness.

If you started fasting today—whether for Christian Lent or Muslim Ramadan—and you're taking medications, this guide is for you. As a pharmacist, I've seen too many patients struggle with medication management during religious fasting periods, often because they didn't know it was okay to ask for help or didn't realize their medications needed adjustment.

Grapefruit juice can interfere with over 85 medications, leading to dangerous side effects. Learn which drugs to avoid and safe alternatives.

Groundbreaking research from the landmark TIME study reveals surprising findings about when you should take your blood pressure medication. Learn why consistency matters more than timing, and discover the one critical exception that affects millions of patients.

When you eat matters as much as what you eat. Learn optimal timing for metformin, insulin, and other diabetes drugs.

If you take herbal supplements alongside prescription medications, the timing of when you take each one could be the difference between them helping you — and quietly harming you. Here are 5 herbals that need careful timing separation.

St. John's Wort, ginkgo biloba, and other 'natural' supplements can cause serious drug interactions.

From crushing extended-release pills to storing insulin incorrectly, these common mistakes can be dangerous.

The time of day you take your medication can dramatically affect its effectiveness. Learn the optimal timing for common drugs.

Start 2026 with safer medication practices. Learn 5 essential resolutions that can prevent dangerous drug interactions and improve your health outcomes this year.

From antibiotics to antidepressants, alcohol can turn everyday medications dangerous. Learn which combinations to avoid.

Poor timing can block absorption of thyroid medications, antibiotics, and osteoporosis drugs. Learn the optimal schedule.

Taking blood pressure meds? These 5 everyday foods can boost side effects or fight your medication. Here's what to watch and what to eat instead.

Taking warfarin? Learn which foods to limit, which are safe, and how to maintain consistent vitamin K intake for stable blood thinning.