Knowledge is the best tool to prevent medication errors

Q: My friend’s father recently died from a medication error. One of his prescriptions was filled incorrectly and caused a fatal reaction. I take multiple medications for various conditions. How can I reduce my risk for a medication error?

A: Medication errors refer to mistakes in prescribing and dispensing medications. These errors injure hundreds of thousands of people every year in the U.S. Common causes of medication errors include drug names that sound alike, medications that look alike and medical abbreviations. Most medication errors can be prevented.

Knowledge is your best defense against medication errors.

One of the best ways to reduce your risk of a medication error is to take an active role in your health care. Learn about the medications you take. Never hesitate to share concerns with your physician or pharmacist.

Children are especially at high risk for medication errors because they typically need different drug doses than adults.

An example of a medication error is taking an overthe-counter product that contains acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, when you’re already taking a prescription pain medicine that contains acetaminophen. This mistake could put you at risk of liver damage.

Another example of a medication error is taking a depression medication called fluoxetine (Prozac or Sarafem) with a migraine drug called sumatriptan (Imitrex). Both medicines affect levels of a brain chemical called serotonin. Taking them together can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of the dangerous drug interaction include confusion, agitation, rapid heartbeat and increased body temperature.

It is important to store medications in their original labeled containers and read the instructions. Other medication errors include confusing eardrops and eyedrops, chewing non chewable medications, cutting up pills and taking the wrong dose.

Don’t assume chewing a pill is as good as swallowing it. Some medications should never be chewed, cut or crushed. Doing so can change how the body absorbs them. Ensuring an accurate dose of liquid medication is critical, so avoid using spoons in your silverware drawer versus a syringe or dose cup, available at most pharmacies.

Ask your physician or pharmacist these questions:

„ What is the medication supposed to do?

„ How long will it be until I see results?

„ How long should I take it?

„ What should I do if I miss a dose?

„ What should I do if I accidentally take more than the recommended dose?

„ Are there any foods, drinks, other medications or activities I should avoid while taking this medicine?

„ What are the possible side effects?

„ How will this new medication interfere with my other medications?

Your health care provider can help prevent errors by printing or digitally sending prescriptions instead of handwriting prescriptions. When you pick up a prescription, check that it’s the one your health care provider ordered. Save the information sheets that come with your medications.

Another way to reduce the risk of error is to reconcile your medications during each visit with your health care provider. This involves comparing the list of medications your health care provider has with the list of medications you are taking, which can help avoid mistakes.

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