Tips for Avoiding Medication Errors

Listed below are tips to help you avoid medication errors in a variety of settings.

At the Doctor’s Office

• Before your appointment, make a complete list of all medications you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines and nutritional supplements. Whenever your medications change, be sure to update your list.
• Take your medications list with you to every doctor’s appointment.
• Ask your doctor to explain your prescription, including the drug name, how often you should take it and what the purpose of the medication is.
• At least once a year, bring all of your medicines with you to your doctor’s appointment—this way you can talk about all aspects of your medications and your doctor can make certain your records are up to date.
• As you age, some drugs may affect your body differently, so ask your doctor periodically if it may be time to adjust dosages of medications you have been taking for a long time.

At the Pharmacy
Pharmacists play a major role in preventing medication errors. Using one pharmacy will help your pharmacist keep a complete record of all your prescription medicines and cross-check for potential drug interactions. If you get an emergency or mail-order prescription filled elsewhere, bring the container to your usual pharmacist, so the information can be entered into your file.

When picking up a prescription, be sure your pharmacist gives you printed information about your medication and you have clear answers to the following questions:

• What are the brand and generic names of the medication?
• What should the medication my doctor prescribed look like?
• Why am I taking it?
• How much should I take and how often?
• Is there a best time to take it?
• How long will I need to take it?
• Are there potential side effects, and what should I do if they happen?
• What should I do if I miss a dose?
• Does this medication interact with my other medications or with any foods?
• Does this medication replace anything else I have been taking?
• Where and how should I store it?
• How soon should I start to feel better?
• When should I report back to my healthcare professional?
• Should I avoid any liquids, foods, other substances or activities while using this medicine?
• Could I become tolerant, dependent or addicted to this medicine? If so, how can I avoid this?
• Where can I get more information about this medicine?
• If the directions say to take the medication every three or four hours, ask if that means throughout the night as well as during the day.
• Is this medication available in a child-resistant container?
• What is this medication’s expiration date?

When you buy over-the-counter medications, read the labels carefully – they may contain ingredients you do not want or should not take. Ask your pharmacist for help if you have difficulty selecting the right product.

In the Hospital

• Take your medications and your list of medications with you when you go to the hospital. The healthcare professionals there will need to know what you’re taking.
• Ask your doctor the name of each medication he or she prescribes for you and the reason you are taking it. If someone tells you anything different, you will know to ask questions, which may prevent errors.
• Look at every medicine before you take it. If it does not look like what you usually take, ask why.
• Do not let anyone give you medications without them checking your hospital identification bracelet each time. This helps prevent you from getting someone else’s medications.
• Before any test or procedure, ask if it will require any dyes or medicines to avoid allergic reactions.
• When you’re ready to go home, have the doctor, nurse or pharmacist discuss each medication with you and a family member. Update your medications list if any prescriptions change or if new medications are added.

At Home

• Keep medications in their original, labeled containers. This can help you identify each pill and to follow the proper directions.
• After opening a container of medicine, take out the cotton plug, which may draw moisture into the container.
• Do not store medications in the bathroom medicine cabinet or in direct sunlight, because humidity, heat and light can affect a medication’s potency and safety.
• Do not store medicines in the refrigerator unless instructed to do so, and keep liquid medicines from freezing.
• Store medications where children cannot see or reach them—for example, in a locked box or cabinet. Teach children that medications can be dangerous if misused.
• Keep medications for people separate from pet medications or household chemicals.
• Do not keep tubes of ointments or creams next to a tube of toothpaste. They may feel similar when you grab quickly.
• Do not chew, crush or break capsules or tablets unless instructed to do so.
• With liquid medication, use only the measuring device that came with it. Many household teaspoons and tablespoons are not accurate.
• Keep phone numbers for your doctors and pharmacist in a convenient location, along with the numbers of your local EMS and poison control centers. Know the locations of pharmacies that are open 24 hours a day in case of an emergency.
• Do not take medications in the dark – although you may think you know exactly what the bottle on your nightstand contains, turn on a light to be sure.
• Never take another person’s prescription medication or share yours with anyone, even if the other person appears to have the same medical condition as you.

This information above was compiled from the following sources: Institute for Safe Medication Practices; U.S. Food & Drug Administration; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.