How To Take Your Medications Safely

According to the Institute of Medicine, at least 1.5 million Americans are sickened, injured, and killed each year by avoidable errors in prescribing, dispensing, and taking medications.

Patients must be very vigilant over their health treatment! To protect yourself and your family:

Ask The Doctor

* When you get a new prescription, ask your doctor to spell the name of the drug, what it looks like, and what the dosage is. Have her briefly note the drug's purpose on the prescription form. Be sure you (and the pharmacist) can read it.

* Make sure you understand:

-when to take the medication;

-what the drug should do;

-its generic and brand names;

-whether it should be taken with or without food;

-how much you should take, how often, the maximum daily dose, and what to do if you miss a dose;

-how to administer the drug, and whether you take a pill halved or chewed, or whether is must be swallowed whole;

-what drugs could interact;

-what side effects may occur, and when to contact your doctor;

-how to store it, and when it expires;

-what food, beverages, drugs or other products to avoid while taking the drug, including alcohol, caffeine, nonprescription medications, dairy products, tobacco, vitamins and herbal products.

* Some people cannot tolerate standard doses of medications, but can take lower doses. Talk to your doctor if you are an older adult, have a low body weight, have a chronic medical condition, or if you are particularly sensitive to drugs.

* Once a year, take all your medications (including nonprescription), vitamins and herbs to your primary doctor for an evaluation.

* Maintain a complete list of your medications, the doctors who prescribed them, the pharmacy and prescription numbers, the amount you take, the time of day you take them, and any reactions you have.
Take the list to any new doctor, and when you go into the hospital. Refer to it during interviews with various health professionals, especially the anesthesiologist if you're having surgery.

Ask The Pharmacist

* Keep a written record of prescription information to verify you receive the correct prescription.

* Choose a pharmacy that:

-keeps comprehensive records of all your medications and allergies, to reduce the risk of a drug conflict or adverse reaction;

-provides printed information regarding what medical condition the drug is designed to treat, dosage instructions, side effects, as well as any food, beverage, drug, or other product interactions;

-willingly answers questions.

* Check refills. If they are a different color, size, or shape, contact your pharmacist immediately.

* If you use a different pharmacy or provider, inform the pharmacist of other medications and products you're taking, and any allergic reactions to drugs.

Ask Yourself

* Educate yourself and increase your awareness of the drugs that you and your family use. Ask yourself why you're using them.

* Read all labels and other information, and follow all directions.

* For nonprescription medications, never exceed recommended doses. Choose medications by active ingredients and dosage, not by the brand name. A brand may have several products or types.

* Avoid taking drugs prescribed for someone else, even if you share the same symptoms.

* Discard drugs that are past their expiration date. Contact your pharmacist for disposal instructions.

* Keep drugs in their original containers.

* For liquid medications, use a measuring spoon or the plastic dosing cap. Tableware spoons are not an accurate measure.

* Make sure you have plenty of light when you take medications.

* Children aren't just small adults, so never estimate the dose based on their size.

* Never let children take medications unsupervised.

* If you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, tell your physician before taking any medicine.

* Be sure the hospital staff carefully checks your identification bracelet before you take any medications. Verify the medications are correct. A companion is helpful when you are not fully alert.

Decoding Your Prescription

* By convention, Latin abbreviations, other notations and metric units are used in prescriptions. Following are some common terms:
Term (Abbr.) Meaning
ante cibum (ac) before meals
gutta (gt) drop
hora somni (hs) at bedtime
oculus dexter (od) right eye
oculus sinister (os) left eye
per os (po) by mouth
post cibum (pc) after meals
pro re nata (prn) as needed
quaque 3 hora (q3h) every 3 hours
quaque die (qd) every day
bis in die (bid) twice a day
ter in die (tid) 3 times a day
quarter in die (qid) 4 times a day
_
c with
_
s without

T, TT, TTT 1,2,3 capsules, pills
milligrams mg
milliliters ml
disp dispense
signa (sig) you write
(doctor's labeling instructions to the pharmacist)

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