Taking prescribed medications as directed by a doctor is important to your health and recovery. However, it can be extremely dangerous when pharmacy errors occur, and may expose you to serious risk of injury and even death. As a patient and consumer, you have ways of protecting yourself from pharmacy medication errors. Here are several tips for keeping yourself and your family safe while picking up prescribed medication at a local pharmacy:
Doctors are notorious for terrible handwriting, therefore it is important for a pharmacist to be able to read instructions on the prescription pad. One letter can make a difference in dispensing the correct drug or giving a patient wrong dosage or even a wrong medication. Check the prescription sheet for legible physician’s handwriting before turning it in to your pharmacist.
Double-check your prescription before leaving the store. This will help you notice any mistakes, especially if the pharmacist was too distracted to correctly dispense your drugs.
Verify the dosages and drug names with your doctor before leaving the medical office. Write down the information your doctor provides so that you can compare it to medication dispensed at the pharmacy.
Avoid the drive-up window as statistics show that pharmacists attending those windows are too distracted with phone calls, customers and keeping track of everyone’s prescriptions.
Understand side effects of every medicine you have to take. Discuss side effects with the doctor before you leave with a prescription but also with the pharmacist before you start taking the medicine. It is important to know side effects of medications so that you may be on the lookout for problems before they get serious.
An Orlando injury lawyer can provide guidance if you have been injured by a pharmacy error or medication mix-up.
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