MEDICATION
SAFETY
Know your medications and keep a list. When making
this list, include the name, dosage,
and how often you take the medication.
Click
here for a Medication Chart that will
help you keep track of your medications.
For example:
|
Name
|
Generic Name
|
Dose
|
How Often
|
|
Capoten
|
Captoprill
|
25 mg
|
3x a day
|
Your list should include:
• Prescriptions
from your doctor(s)
• Over the counter medications
• Dietary supplements
• Vitamins
• Herbal Medications
Know the following about
your medications:
|
•
|
What are they for and how long will you
need to take them?
|
|
•
|
What are the most common/most serious side
effects & what to do if they occur?
|
|
•
|
What interactions might occur with other
medications & supplements?
|
|
•
|
Whether diet or activity will effect these
medications
|
|
•
|
When you are discharged make sure that
you receive written information about any
medication(s) from your hospital or drug
store pharmacist.
|
Are you allergic to any
medications?
Know your allergies and/or any sensitivities/reactions
to medications, and keep track of them on your
medication list.
Include the name of the medication and the type
of problem you have had.
If you have a history of sensitivity/reaction
to Medication:
List the medication, the type of problem the
medication causes, and the date of the problem.
For example:
|
Name
|
Problem
|
Date
|
|
Penicillin
|
Hives
|
1960's
|
It is very important that you share this list
with health care providers anytime
you receive health care, including visits to the
pharmacy.
When you are a patient in
the hospital:
Whenever you are prescribed drugs in the hospital,
make sure that you know what the drug is and why
it is given. If you are not sure, ask the nurse.
Ask if there are serious potential side effects
or interactions with other medications that you
are taking.
Ask for written information about the drug. If
this is a drug you feel you should not receive,
ask for a clear explanation.
Ask to discuss this with your doctor or the hospital
pharmacist if you do not feel the initial explanation
is adequate.
When you are discharged, make sure you understand
about your medications. Be sure to update
your medication list. Your nurse or pharmacist
will help you with this.
When you pick up a prescription
at the Pharmacy:
At the pharmacy ask: Is this the medication
my doctor prescribed?
Be sure to bring your medication list to the
pharmacy and review it with your pharmacist.
Check to see if refilled drugs look like the
prior medication before you leave the pharmacy.
Also confirm the dose on the bottle against your
own medication list.
If a refilled drug does not look like the medication
you received before, ask the pharmacist for an
explanation.
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