Mixed-Up Medicines

Simple tips to help you avoid medication errors.

Medication errors are a leading cause of health problems-and experts estimate that half of the 1.5 million problems that crop up each year are due to communication errors.

Brian Wasson, M.D., a family practice physician on the medical staff at Memorial Hospital, offers these steps you can take to stay safer:

Know what you take. Ask your pharmacist for a printout of all of your prescriptions. Lots of people today fill prescriptions at multiple pharmacies, shopping around to save money. You'll need to get a list from each store or chain. Keep a list in your purse or wallet.

Fill in the blanks. Prescription medications can interact with over-the-counter medicines, so add vitamins and minerals, herbal supplements and anything else you take regularly to your list.

Keep it together. When you get a prescription filled, pharmacists recommend you do one of two things with the pills. Either place them in a case that holds medicines for the different days of the week and times of day, so you can make sure you take them properly, or leave them in the bottle they came in.

Ask questions. Your doctor or pharmacist can explain what effect your medication should have and what side effects might occur. If there's anything you don't understand, ask.

Read labels and handouts. Prescription medications come with sheets that explain possible interactions and side effects. Over-the-counter medicines have lots of information on the label. Familiarize yourself with the warnings and active ingredients.

Share the information. Many people today see several specialists—your cardiologist may prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs while your endocrinologist is treating your diabetes with other drugs. Make sure all of your doctors know all the medications you are taking. Not all interactions are bad—sometimes drugs work in partnership to enhance effects—but it's important for your doctor to know what to expect.

By Stephanie Thurrott

If you need a referral to a physician on the medical staff at Memorial Hospital, call (903) 439-4026.