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continued:

Medication errors: Cut your risk with these tips

Speak up

Asking questions is essential, but it isn't sufficient. You also have to share information with your doctor and pharmacist, especially if you're getting a new prescription or seeing a new doctor. Here's what you need to tell your health care providers:

  • The names of all the medications you're taking, including over-the-counter products and supplements
  • Any medications that you're allergic to or that have caused problems for you in the past
  • Whether you have any chronic or serious health problems
  • If you might be pregnant or you're trying to become pregnant

Don't make the same mistake

The following are examples of medication errors that can happen at home. They come from real people's experiences. Learn from them and don't make the same mistakes:

  • Confusing eardrops and eyedrops. Always double-check the label. If a medication says "otic" it's for the ears. If it says "ophthalmic" it's for the eyes.
  • Chewing nonchewables. Don't assume chewing a pill is as good as swallowing it. Some medications should never be chewed, cut or crushed. Doing so may change how they're absorbed by the body. Review the labels or ask your doctor or pharmacist how to take your medications.
  • Cutting up pills. Never split pills unless your doctor has told you it's safe to do so. Some medications shouldn't be cut because they're coated to be long acting or to protect the stomach.
  • Using the wrong spoon. The spoons in your silverware drawer aren't measuring spoons. Most silverware spoons vary in the amount of liquid they can hold, meaning you could get too much or too little medication. To get an accurate dose, use an oral syringe (available at pharmacies) or the dose cup that came with the medication.

Make safety a habit

Get into the habit of playing it safe with these medication tips:

  • Keep an up-to-date list of all your medications, including nonprescription and herbal products.
  • Store medications in their original labeled containers.
  • Save the information sheets that come with your medications.
  • Use the same pharmacy, if possible, for all of your prescriptions.
  • When you pick up a prescription, check that it's the one your doctor ordered.
  • Don't give your prescription medication to someone else and don't take someone else's.

A final word

"Don't ask, don't tell" is never a smart policy when it comes to medications and your health. Don't hesitate to ask questions or to tell your health care providers if anything seems amiss. Remember, you're the final line of defense against medication errors.

If despite your efforts you have an unexpected problem with a medication, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about whether to report it to MedWatch, the Food and Drug Administration safety and adverse event reporting program. Reporting to MedWatch is easy, confidential and secure — and it can help save others from being harmed by medications errors.

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References
  1. Medication error reports. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/MedicationErrors/ucm080629.htm. Accessed Sept. 8, 2009.
  2. FDA 101: Medication errors. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048644.htm. Accessed Sept. 8, 2009.
  3. Preventing medication errors: Report brief. Institute of Medicine. http://www.iom.edu/File.aspx?ID=35943. Accessed Sept. 9, 2009.
  4. Consumer medication management and error. Clinical Therapeutics. 2008;30:2156.
  5. Be an active member of your health care team. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/ucm079487.htm. Accessed Sept. 4, 2009.
  6. Think it through: Managing the risks and benefits of medicines. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm143558.htm. Accessed Sept. 4, 2009.
  7. Your medicine: Play it safe. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/safemeds/safemeds.htm. Accessed Sept. 8, 2009.
  8. Lessons to be learned from past errors. Institute for Safe Medication Practices. http://www.ismp.org/consumers/lessonslearned.asp. Accessed Sept.4, 2009.
  9. FDA 101: How to use the consumer complaint system and MedWatch. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm049087.htm#problems. Accessed Sept. 8, 2009.
  10. Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Healthcare Consumers. MerckSource.com. http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands_split.jsp?pg=/ppdocs/us/common/dorlands/dorland/misc/dmd-a-b-000.htm. Accessed Sept. 9, 2009.
  11. Drug advertising: A glossary of terms. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/PrescriptionDrugAdvertising/ucm072025.htm. Accessed Sept. 9, 2009.
  12. Buss LK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Oct. 6, 2009.
  13. Takahashi PY (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Oct. 7, 2009.

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