March 2013 Health Tip: Medication Safety
WALTHAM, Mass. – This month's health tip from the Massachusetts Medical Society: medication safety.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that bad events from taking prescription medicines cause 700,000 emergency room visits and 120,000 hospitalizations each year. Many of these are preventable.
Follow these steps for the safe use of medications:
(1) Ask questions, about why it's being prescribed, possible side effects, and if it will interact with other medicines you take.
(2) Read the information that comes with each medicine, including cautionary advice and how and when to take it.
(3) Make a list of all your medicines, including dosage, frequency, and why you're taking it. Include over-the-counter medicines.
(4) Share the list with your doctor and pharmacist, to avoid bad interactions with any new medicine you might get. (5) Supervise children and elderly patients in taking their medicines.
(6) Check the bottle when you get a new prescription, to make sure it's what the doctor ordered.
(7) Follow instructions and take as directed.
For more information and a consumer guide to safe medication use, visit the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors at www.macoalition.org.
The Massachusetts Medical Society, founded in 1781, is the statewide professional association for physicians and medical students.
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