Perhaps you experienced a recent near-miss medication error in a Florida medical center. How can you better ensure that you do not experience another incident in the future?
U.S. News & World Report examines strategies for reducing medication errors. Learn how to protect your health and peace of mind.
Bring in your pharmacist
When hospital or emergency room health care providers want to administer medication, call your pharmacist to work with them. When physicians, nurses and pharmacists work together, they reduce the chances of a patient becoming a prescription error victim. This is a great idea if you already take several medications or are a high-risk patient.
Keep a list of your current prescriptions
Make a list of your current prescriptions that you keep on your phone or in your wallet at all times. In addition to the name of the medication, note the dosage and any allergies you have. Get into the habit of updating this list whenever you stop taking a drug, change your dosage or change to a different medication. Include supplements, vitamins and over-the-counter medication on this list. If you experience a medical emergency and cannot communicate with hospital staff, making this list easy to find and understand may save your life.
Carry your pharmacist’s and physician’s contact information on you
On your list of current medication, list your doctor’s and pharmacist’s phone numbers, email addresses and all other contact information you have for them, especially if you have multiple physicians tending to you. Your medical care providers may answer questions that you or emergency room or hospital staff have about your prescriptions.
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