Preventing Drug Errors

The June 2010 issue of Consumer Reports on Health has a very useful article called How to Prevent Drug Errors. The article reviews how to protect yourself from dangerous medication mistakes:

• In the doctor's office
• At the pharmacy
• At home
• In the hospital

Some of the highlights:

• Keep a current list of medications, including dosage amounts, who prescribed them, and when you are supposed to take them
• Thoroughly read the drug labels and drug information sheet from the pharmacy.
• Speak up: ask the pharmacist or your doctor if you have any questions about the medications you are taking.

Read the entire article at the UCSF Patient Health Library.

More information on patient safety is available on the UCSF Medical Center website.

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