The safe and appropriate use of
medications is essential for getting positive results from your medications.
While pharmacists strive for an error-free environment, sometimes mistakes
occur. But both the incidence and severity of errors can be reduced
dramatically by following these simple tips from the American Pharmacists
Association:
-- Know your medicine. Know the names of the medications you take, what
the product looks like, why you take them, and how the product might
make you feel. Before you take your medication, double-check the
label and the contents. If your medication looks different or makes
you feel different, talk to your pharmacist.
-- Know your pharmacist. Your pharmacist is your medication expert, your
partner in helping make your medication work. Ask your pharmacist to
review each medication with you -- including showing you the tablets
or capsules and reviewing important information about the product.
Research shows patients are more likely to ask questions of their
pharmacist -- an important step to preventing errors -- if they know
their pharmacist's name.
-- Use ONE pharmacy. Using the same pharmacy to purchase all of your
prescription and over-the-counter medications is an important
protection. Your pharmacist is then able to monitor exactly which
medications you are taking and check on possible harmful side effects
and or drug interactions.
-- Make sure you can read your prescription. When you leave your
doctor's office with your prescriptions, make sure you can read them.
If they are illegible, ask your doctor to re-write them. Poor
handwriting is a major contributor to medication errors.
-- Read the label and follow the directions. Medications are powerful,
that's why they work. But they can cause harm as well, particularly
if they are not used correctly. Follow the directions on the label,
but be sure to call your pharmacist and your doctor if you notice any
unusual symptoms.
APhA and the nation's pharmacists are very concerned about medication
errors. The profession of pharmacy strives for an error-free environment.
Pharmacists work closely with patients, physicians, and other health care
professionals to improve medication use and advance patient care.
American Pharmacists Association
pharmacist
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