Medication Errors Can Put You At Risk

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Medication Errors Can Put You At Risk

Prescription errors kill an estimated 7,000 Americans every year. Many, if not most of these drug reactions are preventable, says to Janet Corrigan, Director of the Institute of Medicine’s Board on Health Care Services. Celebrex, Cerebyx, Celexa. Zantac, Xanax. Lamictal, Lamisil. Sound-alike names and illegible physician handwriting are among the most common causes of drug errors according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Could a drug mix-up happen to you? You may not always associate your symptoms with side effects. Often you may only feel something is not quite right or just a sign of age—drowsiness, change in appetite, headache, dizziness, changes in mood, diarrhea, vomiting are among the most common side effects. Taking the wrong drug however, could cause serious harm if you are prescribed a dose that is too high, you’re allergic to the drug, or the drug interacts negatively with another you may be taking.

In recent years the FDA has beefed up rules to provide more information to prescription drug consumers, but to prevent errors, the best protection is vigilance. Understand your treatment, keep organized records of what doctors you see, and what medications you take, and ask questions when you don’t feel right. For example if your pills look different than they have in the past, ask why.

Here are some tips to help you play it safe:

Make sure you tell your doctor all the medicines you are taking or likely to take, including non-prescription over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements. If you are not sure you can remember, put everything in a bag and take it with you.
If you have any known allergies or have experienced side effects, tell your doctor.
When getting a new prescription ask your doctor’s office to TYPE it out rather than relying on a handwritten one. Ask that the purpose of the drug be included. This will help reduce the possibility of the pharmacy filling a look-alike or sound - alike name. Studies show that printed prescriptions could prevent more than 500,000 serious medication errors each year.
Alert your doctor right away if your symptoms aren’t improving or if you experience unexpected side effects.

Most Mixed – Up — Commonly Confused Drugs

Drug	Confused With:	Worst Risk:
Acculate (asthma)	Accupril (hypertension)	death from severe asthma attack
Benadryl (antihistamine)	Bentyl (irritable bowel syndrome)	psychosis, seizures
Cardene (heart disease)	Codeine (pain)	heart failure
Lamictal (epilepsy)	Lamisil (antifungal)	continuous seizures
Sectral (hypertension)	Septra (urinary tract infections)	heart failure
Zantac (ulcers)	Xanax (anxiety)	death from untreated bleeding ulcer
Zyrtec (allergies)	Zyprexa (schizophrenia)	sedation, muscle spasms

Sources:
Testimony of Janet M. Corrigan, Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Medicine’s board on Health Care Services, on Technology and Prescription Drug Safety, to The Senate Special Committee on Aging, May 3, 2001. “Make No Mistake: Medical Errors Can Be Deadly Serious,” Tamar Nordenberg, “FDA Consumer Magazine,” September-October, 2000. “Drug Mix-Ups Could Put You At Risk,” Michelle Meyer, “Intelligencer Journal,” May 23, 2002.

September 2002