8 Actions To Avoid Prescription Mistakes

America's Healthcare Challenge

Actions You Can Take When Mistakes Are Made With Your Medication Eating the wrong thing, taking a wrong turn, and making a mistake in your medication are all unfortunate events that can happen to anyone. But what happens when you accidentally take a double dose of your medication? Or take it at the wrong time? Or get the dosage wrong entirely? Mistakes like these are more common than you might think—and they can have serious consequences. That's why it's so important to understand how to avoid mistakes in your medication and what to do if you make one. Here are ways to prevent these mistakes and what to do if they occur: 1)Don't take medication too often. Taking too many medications at once can lead to side effects, confusion, and in some cases, a life-threatening reaction. If you're on more than one medication, make sure you know how they interact with each other and that your doctor is aware of everything you're taking. 2) Take your medications at the correct times. It's important to take all of your medications at their scheduled times, even if some of them are meant to be taken together with other medications or supplements on an empty stomach first thing in the morning or right before bedtime (for example). 3) Use due diligence when picking up a new prescription drug. When you pick up a new prescription, it's easy to rush through the process of getting it filled and head home. But if you're not careful, that haste could cost you. It's important to use due diligence when picking up a new prescription drug. 4) Make sure you receive the right dose of your medication. If you have been prescribed medication by a doctor, it's important that you take it exactly as directed—and not more than is recommended or less than is needed. This can be especially tricky if you have multiple prescriptions or if someone else has given them to you. Make sure that the pharmacist has given you all the correct doses for each medicine and double check. 5) Check with your doctor to ensure that you are taking the drug correctly. In order to avoid mistakes in medication, it's important to check with your doctor before taking any medication. This is especially true if you have been prescribed a new medication or if you are taking multiple medications at once. 6) Don't skip doses or miss doses on purpose for any reason. When you're taking medication, it's important to take it as prescribed. If you miss a dose or forget to take it, there's a chance that your body's not getting the amount of medication that it needs; this can lead to some serious problems in terms of your health. To avoid this, make sure you always have your medications on hand so that you can take them when the time comes. If you're having trouble remembering when and how much of your meds to take each day, consider writing down reminders in a planner or on sticky notes around the house. 7) Know what to do when you think you’ve made a mistake. If you think you've made a mistake with one of your medications—for example, if you took too much—it's important that you do something about it right away! If possible, call your doctor or pharmacist immediately; they will likely be able to tell if there is any danger from what happened and what steps need to be taken next. In addition, if there are any serious side effects from using too much of the wrong medication, they will be able to advise accordingly. KEY TAKEAWAY: Overall, everyone makes mistakes with medicine. It's a fact of life. The important thing is to be educated about your medications, to know what you are taking, and to make sure that you take them as directed. If you have questions or concerns, speak to your doctor as soon as possible to avoid any long term negative effects from a medication error. FOLLOW ME ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AmericasCanary LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edbellis/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/americascanary/