ESL Podcast 987 - Taking Prescription Drugs
pill bottle - a small bottle with a tight-fitting lid, used to hold medicine
Pill bottles need to have child-proof caps so that little kids aren't able to open them and take medicine that could be harmful to them.
to prescribe - for a doctor to write down the type of medication that a person should take, especially when that medicine is available only from a pharmacist with written instructions
The doctor prescribed an antibiotic for Harvey's sore throat.
medication - medicine; drug; a chemical substance that is used to make a sick or injured person feel better and/or get well
Wouldn't it be great if there were a medication that could cure cancer?
painkiller - a medicine that reduces or eliminates pain (severe physical discomfort)
The doctor recommended taking these painkillers for at least three days after the surgery.
sedative - a medicine or another substance that makes people feel calmer, slower, and sleepier
Do you think it's safe to give your child a sedative before flying internationally?
tranquilizer - a medicine or another substances that makes people feel calmer, less worried, and less aggressive
The scientists shot the lion with a tranquilizer so that they could approach it and try to determine what was wrong with its leg.
stimulant - a medicine or another substance that makes people feel more excited and energetic
Coffee is a stimulant, so drinking it in the evening before bedtime might make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
overkill - too much of something; an extreme, especially a harmful one
This semester, Randall is taking 24 credit hours while most students take just 15 or 18. Doesn't that seem like overkill?
to interact - for two or more objects or people to act in a way that affects each other; to have an effect on something and be affected by it at the same time
Sociologists are very interested in studying how human beings interact with each other and with institutions.
side effect - an unintended result of something, especially when talking about medicine
The side effects of this medication include headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - when one person in an organization does not know what another person is doing, so their actions overlap or affect each other in some unexpected way
If you're going to ask people to bring food to the party, tell them what type of food to bring. Otherwise the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and you might end up with 10 bowls of salad, but no entrees or dessert.
to confiscate - to take something away without the owner's permission, especially when that person should not have the thing
The school administrators are authorized to confiscate any drugs, alcohol, or weapons that students might bring to school.
pharmacist - a person whose job is to prepare medicines and give them to people who need them under a doctor's orders; a druggist
The pharmacist said I should take the pills with food twice a day for 10 days.
to overdose - to consume too much of a medicine or drug so that one becomes sick or dies
Shane's parents have tried to help him to stop using drugs because they are terrified that one day he'll overdose on cocaine or heroin.
to regale - to be funny and entertaining by telling stories to someone; to provide amusement and entertainment to someone through one's words
The comedian regaled the audience with stories of her experience traveling overseas.