Steering Clear of Medication Mistakes

by Kristien Wilkinson

Going wrong on your medications can have serious and even potentially fatal consequences. Not taking your medicines at the right time for instance results in ineffective treatment and can lead to worsening of your medical condition. Adverse drug interactions can cause major disorders or even death.
According to the Institute of Medicine, about 1.5 million people in the United States alone are harmed by medication errors. However, the prevention of drug mistakes is fairly simple and often merely requires a good dose of common sense.

Taking various drugs with adverse interactions is one of the more common and dangerous medication errors. Drug-to-drug interaction happens when two or more drugs react with each other and produce unexpected and harmful side effects. Medicines may also react with certain foods and beverages like alcohol. Tylenol (acetaminophen) mixed with alcohol has adverse effects on the liver while the antibiotic metronidazole, when taken with alcohol, can cause nausea, vomiting, stomachache, flushing, and headache. Some drugs may also not go well with existing medical disorders. For example, using a nasal decongestant when you have high blood pressure could worsen your condition.

To avoid drug interactions, it's best to talk to your doctor or pharmacist and let them know about all the medications, supplements, and herbal remedies you're taking as well as any medical conditions you may have. Take the time as well to read the label or package insert of the drug. It tells you what the drug is for, how to take it, its active ingredient, the potential side effects of taking it, and the risks of its interaction with other substances.

Another common medication mistake is getting the wrong prescription from the pharmacy. This is not always your fault, of course, but you can take certain precautions to prevent it from happening. This error happens sometimes because the pharmacist is not able to decipher your doctor's handwriting or the drug may have a similar name with another medicine. To avoid this, you can ask your doctor to include in the prescription pad what the drug is for. At other times, the error could be caused by simple mishandling: you were handed someone else's medicines. To make sure you got the right prescription, always check your medications before leaving the pharmacy.

Non-compliance on proper drug intake is another recurring medication problem. There are instances when people just fail to read drug labels or pay attention to the doctor's instruction. Thus, they're practically clueless on when, how, and for how long to take their medicines. Not taking your medications as directed significantly affects the effectiveness of your treatment. You may also suffer from further negative effects if you take more than the prescribed dose. To prevent this problem, make sure that you understand the prescription clearly before you even leave the doctor's office. Post the prescription note on your medicine cabinet or in a place where you can easily review it when you take your medicines.

A big part of avoiding medication errors is having the right information so it's always helpful to read relevant medical sources. Preventing these mistakes doesn't have to be as complicated as brain surgery, but at times, it could be just as important.

About the Author
Kristien Wilkinson is an online writer and contributor to http://www.getcheapdrugs.com