# Why does grapefruit interfere with certain medications?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-grapefruit-interfere-with-certain-medications/947169>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 24, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-grapefruit-interfere-with-certain-medications/947169 "2021-07-24T02:34:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-grapefruit-interfere-with-certain-medications/947169/21 "2021-07-24T22:43:28Z")

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> [@Procrustus](#):
>
> I’m going to have to bring this up next time I see her. I read about grapefruit here on some other thread and stayed away, but she should have mentioned it

It would be more reasonable to take it up with the pharmacist who dispensed the statin to you. That is their job, to do patient education in sufficient detail.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-grapefruit-interfere-with-certain-medications/947169/22 "2021-07-24T22:50:18Z")

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Hey! Nice to see you (and a helpful post).

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**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2021, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-grapefruit-interfere-with-certain-medications/947169/23 "2021-07-25T09:35:13Z")

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> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#):
>
> List item
> 
> It would be more reasonable to take it up with the pharist who dispensed the statin to you. That is their job, to do patient education in sufficient detail.

That’s an interesting difference. Over here, pharmacists will do it for OTC medicines, but “patient education” in general is part and parcel of one’s GP’s raison d’être as the “family doctor”, there to keep a holistic/longterm overview of one’s health.

That said, our NHS also pays pharmacies to conduct occasional “Medicines Use Reviews”, where they’ll double-check with patients on longterm medications as to whether they understand what they’re taking, why and how, and possible side-effects. But the GP has the dominant role.

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**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2021, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-grapefruit-interfere-with-certain-medications/947169/24 "2021-07-25T10:32:19Z")

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> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#):
>
> > [@Procrustus](#):
> >
> > I’m going to have to bring this up next time I see her. I read about grapefruit here on some other thread and stayed away, but she should have mentioned it
> 
> It would be more reasonable to take it up with the pharmacist who dispensed the statin to you. That is their job, to do patient education in sufficient detail.

Mine did when I was on some drug or other. I don’t eat it anyhow but I appreciated it.

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