Experts Alert Patients to Medication Errors

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Billions of prescriptions are filled each year in the United States, and more than 100,000 Americans make mistakes when taking their prescription medications, sometimes resulting in serious health problems or even death.

This is Prescription Errors Education and Awareness Week in the United States, and the Department of Veterans Affairs offers the following tips on how Americans can avoid prescription errors:

• Don''t pressure doctors to prescribe drugs seen and heard about in television commercials or other ads. Let doctors make prescription decisions based on their professional opinion.
• Ensure that doctors are informed about any allergies and adverse reactions to medicines. Keep a journal of all the medicines taken, as well as any side effects experienced in the past.
• Inform doctor about all medications currently being taken, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, and dietary supplements such as herbs and vitamins. Mixing certain prescription drugs with some over-the-counter medications or herbals can trigger serious side effects.
• Ask doctors, nurses and pharmacists lots of questions to help understand what''s being prescribed and how the medication is supposed to help.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about preventing medication errors.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Veterans Affairs, news release, Oct. 20, 2005

Last Updated: Oct. 26, 2005