Medication errors: Cut your risk with these tips

Reduce your risk of medication errors by asking questions and being informed about the medications you take, including possible side effects and adverse interactions.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Medication errors may sound harmless, but mistakes in prescribing, dispensing and administering medications injure more than 1 million people a year in the United States. Yet most medication errors can be prevented. How can you protect yourself and your family?

One of the best ways to reduce your risk of being harmed by medication errors is to take an active role in your health care. Learn about the medications you take — and take responsibility for monitoring their effectiveness and side effects. Never hesitate to ask questions or share concerns with your doctor, pharmacist and other health care providers.
Medication errors 101

Just what are medication errors? Medication errors are preventable events that lead to inappropriate medication use. Medication errors that cause injury or harm are referred to as adverse drug events. An example of a medication error is taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (a combination of two antibiotics) when you're already taking warfarin (a blood thinner). The combination can lead to dangerous levels of blood thinning. Another example is taking over-the-counter acetaminophen at the same time as you're taking a prescription pain medicine that contains acetaminophen, thus possibly exceeding the recommended dose and putting yourself at risk of liver damage.

Although medication errors can happen anywhere, including your own home, they most commonly occur in doctors' offices, hospitals and pharmacies. When all types of errors are taken into account, a person in the hospital can expect on average to be subjected to one medication error a day. However, the actual rates vary widely across facilities. Knowing what you're up against can help you play it safe. The most common causes of medication errors are:

* Poor communication between health care providers
* Poor communication between providers and patients
* Sound-alike medication names and medical abbreviations
* Illegible prescriptions or confusing directions

Understand the lingo

Good communication is a two-way street. If you don't understand something your doctor says, ask for an explanation. Don't be afraid to say if you didn't understand some of the words or explanation. To give you a leg up, here are a couple of basic terms defined:

* Adverse effect. An unwanted and possibly harmful symptom caused by a medication.
* Side effect. An unintended result of a medication. Side effects can be beneficial, such as weight loss caused by a medication for diabetes. However, when doctors talk about side effects they usually mean adverse effects.
* Drug interaction. The way a medication works can be altered by other drugs (prescription and nonprescription, or over-the-counter), supplements, foods and beverages (including alcohol). These interactions may make the medication not work as well, work too well or may cause side effects.

Get answers

Being active in your care means educating yourself. Whenever you start a new medication, make sure you know the answers to the following:

* What is the brand or generic name of the medication?
* What is it supposed to do? How long will it be until I see results?
* What is the dose? How long should I take it?
* Are there any foods, drinks, other medications or activities I should avoid while taking this medicine?
* What are the possible side effects? What should I do if they occur?
* What should I do if I miss a dose?
* What should I do if I accidentally take more than the recommended dose?
* Will this new medication interfere with my other medication(s) and how?
Speak up

Asking questions is essential, but it isn't sufficient. You also have to share information with your doctor and pharmacist, especially if you're getting a new prescription or seeing a new doctor. Here's what you need to tell your health care providers:

* The names of all the medications you're taking, including over-the-counter products and supplements
* Any medications that you're allergic to or that have caused problems for you in the past
* Whether you have any chronic or serious health problems
* If you might be pregnant or you're trying to become pregnant

Don't make the same mistake

The following are examples of medication errors that can happen at home. They come from real people's experiences. Learn from them and don't make the same mistakes:

* Confusing eardrops and eyedrops. Always double-check the label. If a medication says "otic" it's for the ears. If it says "ophthalmic" it's for the eyes.
* Chewing nonchewables. Don't assume chewing a pill is as good as swallowing it. Some medications should never be chewed, cut or crushed. Doing so may change how they're absorbed by the body. Review the labels or ask your doctor or pharmacist how to take your medications.
* Cutting up pills. Never split pills unless your doctor has told you it's safe to do so. Some medications shouldn't be cut because they're coated to be long acting or to protect the stomach.
* Using the wrong spoon. The spoons in your silverware drawer aren't measuring spoons. Most silverware spoons vary in the amount of liquid they can hold, meaning you could get too much or too little medication. To get an accurate dose, use an oral syringe (available at pharmacies) or the dose cup that came with the medication.

Make safety a habit

Get into the habit of playing it safe with these medication tips:

* Keep an up-to-date list of all your medications, including nonprescription and herbal products.
* Store medications in their original labeled containers.
* Save the information sheets that come with your medications.
* Use the same pharmacy, if possible, for all of your prescriptions.
* When you pick up a prescription, check that it's the one your doctor ordered.
* Don't give your prescription medication to someone else and don't take someone else's.

A final word

"Don't ask, don't tell" is never a smart policy when it comes to medications and your health. Don't hesitate to ask questions or to tell your health care providers if anything seems amiss. Remember, you're the final line of defense against medication errors.