Medication Mistakes: Do not let them happen to you

Introduction

Medications are essential for getting us well when we fall sick. However, 50% of all health-related avoidable harm is caused by medication errors. The majority of these errors are preventable if we are alert and follow the tips below:

• Keep an updated list of regular medications, including vitamins and supplements. Write both the brand and the chemical name, dosage and when you take it. Carry a copy or save it on your phone for easy access anytime.

  
• Put reminders on your phone to take medicines at the right time. Use pill boxes if you take many medicines. Carry one day's prescribed medicines and other prescribed SOS life-saving medicines, antiallergics, aspirin, and sorbitrates in your person.

  
• Insist that your doctor types or writes the prescription and dosage in capital letters, clearly legible. Check if not clear. Request him to suggest alternate brands as well.

  
• Buy medicines made by a reputed and trusted pharma company to ensure the quality and efficacy of the medicine. Always buy medicines from the same reputable and known pharmacy. This will reduce errors and ensure they keep stocks.

  
• If the pharmacist recommends an alternate brand, verify if the chemical salt is the same as prescribed. Online pharmacy websites help you verify this. If in doubt, reconfirm with your doctor.

  
• Be cautious of spurious drugs; they harm you and delay treatment. Be cautious if highly discounted, as they may be spurious or expired drugs. Insist on a GST invoice with batch numbers. Check for spelling, quality of packing, printing, batch numbers, barcodes and QR validation codes.

  
• Carry all medications in your cabin bag and not in a checked-in bag, which may be lost/delayed. Take medicines at the same time as your original time zone and gradually adjust the timing. During travel, particularly overseas, carry your prescriptions and medical records. Take additional stocks of regular as well as common medicines beyond the number of days of your trip.

  
• Multiple prescriptions from different specialists could contradict or interact. Ask your family physician/main specialist to review for contraindications and change the medication in consultation. Make sure each one knows about all medications.

  
• Do not self-medicate. Do not share or use prescriptions. They may not work for you or harm you. Do not keep taking common pills like paracetamol, antacids, and painkillers; most have a long-term adverse impact.

  
• Dispose of expired medicines. Keep medicine in cold/dark spaces safely. Check your medication chest periodically. Look for longer expiry dates when buying medicines.

  

Medications are an essential part of any treatment. They are to help us get well. However, if not managed safely, they could cause harm. Follow the tips above to help you prevent common errors.