Pharmacy safeguard
Follow these tips when picking up a prescription.
Take the medication out of the bag and read the label. Make sure your name and your doctor’s name are correct. A misspelled name could mean you have someone else’s prescription.
Read the directions on the label. Make sure it agrees with what your doctor told you and that you understand how much to take and how many times a day.
Read the drug information sheet stapled to the bag to learn what the medicine is supposed to treat.
If it’s not the condition you have, there could be an error.
Read about side effects. If you are picking up a refill and have experienced these side effects, tell the pharmacist immediately.
For refills, make sure the medicine looks the same as it did the last time. If not, ask the pharmacist about it. Sometimes you’ll get a generic drug that looks different from what you’re used to.
Source: “Medication Errors,” by Michael R. Cohen
By the numbers
58 percent of adults have a personal pharmacist
46 percent of Americans use prescription medications
37 percent of consumers believe prescription medications are very safe
Source: American Pharmacists Association
Sometimes, patients:
Misunderstand instructions, either on the label or given by doctor or pharmacist.
Measure liquid medicines incorrectly. Use a teaspoon or tablespoon instead of the measuring device provided with the medication.
Take brand and generic medicines or combine products, which can lead to duplicate therapy, drug interactions or overdoses.
Take smaller doses of a medicine to extend the prescription.
Confuse medicines with similar names or look-alike packaging.
Source: Institute for Safe Medication Practices
Before you swallow
Don’t take another pill or drug until you understand everything you need to know. Here are some questions to ask your doctor or pharmacist:
What are the brand and generic names of the medication?
What is the purpose of the medication?
What is the strength and dosage?
What are the possible adverse effects and what should I do if they occur?
Is there any other medication I should avoid while using this product?
I am allergic to a certain medication, so should I take this medicine?
How long should I take this medication? What outcome should I expect?
When is the best time to take the medication?
What should I do if I miss a dose?
Should I avoid certain foods while taking this medication?
I’m taking another medication; can I take both safely?
Source: “Medication Errors,” by Michael R. Cohen
Staying at the hospital?
One medication error occurs per patient per day in hospitals, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Don’t be a statistic, says legal nurse consultant Vickie Milazzo. Here are some tips to make your stay safer:
Bring a list of medications you’re currently taking.
Entrust a friend or relative to help monitor the care you receive.
Report any suspicious care. Don’t be afraid to go up the chain of command, even to the risk management department.
Make sure the person administering your medication checks your identification. Opt for hospitals that use scanner identification systems with alerts for errors.
Stay informed about what medication is ordered for you, including the purpose, dosage and side effects.
If you’re on an IV, make sure the IV bag is labeled and verified when changed.
If you have allergies, request an allergy band, and remind staff before a medication is administered.
Follow these tips to avoid bad drug interactions and improper doses
By Vikki Conwell
Cox News Service
Stop before you swallow. A spoonful of uncertainty could put your health at risk.
Popping a pill or downing a dose of medication is so easy that most people do it without thinking. But errors caused by taking and prescribing medication can pose grave consequences.
Each year, about 1.5 million medication errors occur resulting in adverse drug interactions, improper dosing and duplicate therapy. The outcomes are usually insignificant, but they can be deadly.
Poor communication between doctors, patients and pharmacists coupled with drugs of similar-sounding names and look-alike containers can create a quandary. While the instructions on pill bottles and jars are concise, some people struggle to follow them correctly.
Nearly half of American adults-90 million people-have difficulty understanding and using health information, including dosage information, according to the Institute of Medicine’s Health Literacy report.
“The problem is not reading but understanding what the words really mean,” says Ruth Parker, a professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and co-author of a national research study on health literacy and medication labels.
Because there’s no standardized wording or coding system for prescription medication, a label that reads “Take one teaspoonful by mouth three times a day” can be open for interpretation. One patient might think it means to take the drug every eight hours, while another might interpret it to mean take it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Timing matters for some medications.
“If the label doesn’t give you enough information to act on it, where does a patient go for answers?” says Parker, who calls the issue a “silent epidemic.” The best thing you can do is take advantage of the information and guidance your doctor and pharmacist provide, says Michael R. Cohen, author of “Medication Errors,” a book that helps educate patients.
Ask questions – as many and as often as needed – so you’re clear and comfortable. Despite their workload, most pharmacists are available for consultation.
“We manage our time so we can counsel our patients,” says Heyward Woodward, a pharmacist with Medicine Shoppe in Conyers, Ga.
“It begins and ends with communication.” There’s no simple solution to prevent medication errors, but several manufacturers now offer color-coded vials and packages to make prescriptions safer and easier to use, especially for seniors, who take an average of six medications. Other measures include computerized physician order entry designed to help reduce communication errors from illegible handwriting or inaudible phone orders.
