Video: Get by without taking someone else's medication

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Nearly a third of adult Americans say they lend family and friends their prescription medication - not a good idea. Here are some tips on how to get by in a pinch, without taking someone else's medicine.

What if your friend or family member runs out of their prescription pills? Would you lend them some?

A CDC study found that nearly 30 percent of Americans their prescriptions with others, especially allergy and pain medication.

"What if they're allergic? What if the symptom they're having which they think is allergy might be something else?" said Harminder Sikand, pharmacist.

Besides being dangerous, shared medication may not be effective.

"It's important not to share between each other, because what works for you may not work for someone else," said Sikand.

Sikand says for pain and allergy symptoms, try over the counter medications instead. Or if it's a prescription drug you take all the time, ask your regular pharmacist for help.

"If you're going to a routine pharmacy, they'll work with you on a Friday and give you two pills to be able to survive until Monday," said Sikand.

Better yet, plan ahead.

"If I don't get it from a doctor, if I don't get my prescription and get it from a pharmacy that's it. I ain't taking it from nobody!" said one patient.

That's another reason why it's important to get all your prescriptions from one pharmacy.