Don’t leave the pharmacy without following this lifesaving advice
Two out of every 100 prescriptions filled contain some mistake, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. While most mistakes are minor, some have serious consequences. Recently, a young Colorado mother-to-be took the first dose of what she thought was her antibiotic, but it turned out to be methotrexate, a cancer and abortion drug that can cause birth defects. The mistake happened when the pharmacist gave her the prescription for a woman with the same first initial and last name.
Put your health in your own hands by performing these safety checks when filling (and refilling) any prescription.
- Is the medicine for you? Check your name and address.
- Is the medicine name what you expect? If not, ask if it’s the generic for the brand. Then, read the name of the drug to the pharmacist and state what it’s for: “This is Amaryl for my diabetes, right?”
- Check the dose. Read and repeat the instructions to the pharmacist. Make sure you know when and how many to take each day.
- Does the medicine in the bottle match the description on the label? At each refill, make sure it looks the same as last time.
- Read and understand the warnings. Always go over any special notes or cautions about taking the medicine before leaving the pharmacy.
Questions? Take advantage of the moment your pharmacist asks if you have questions. If nothing specific comes to mind, try this default response that makes the pharmacist do the thinking: “What do I need to know about taking this medicine?”
Get tips for talkiing to your doctor about new meds, coping with side effects and more with Medicine Matters.
