Medication errors: tips to keep you safe
http://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article52903390.html#storylink=cpy
Medication errors are very common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 82 percent of adults are on at least one medication and 29 percent take five or more. With numbers such as those, it’s no wonder mistakes happen. The CDC also says adverse drug events, which are instances where medication errors cause harm, are responsible for an approximated 700,000 emergency department visits a year. Some typical medication errors include:
– Taking over-the-counter products that contain acetaminophen when you’re already taking a prescription pain medicine that contains acetaminophen, possibly exceeding the recommended dose and increasing the risk of liver damage
– Taking prescription medications that go by different names but include the same ingredients, increasing the risk of overdose
– Mixing up eye drops with ear drops
– Chewing nonchewables
– Cutting up pills that should be taken whole
– Using the wrong spoon to measure dosage
– Missing or doubling up on doses
Why do medication errors happen? Mayo Clinic experts say some of most common reasons are poor communication between health care providers, poor communication between providers and their patients, many medications having sound-alike names or abbreviations, and many medications looking similar. The following tips can help keep you and your family safe.
– Ask questions: Find out when and how to take the medication and if there are potential side effects
– Review medication list with your health care provider
– Keep an up-to-date list of all your medications, including nonprescription and herbal products
– Store medications in their original labeled containers
– Keep medications organized by using a pillbox or pill dispenser
– Save information sheets that come with your medications
– Use the same pharmacy for all of your prescriptions
– Don’t give your prescription medication to someone else and don’t take someone else’s
A process called medication reconciliation will also help prevent medication errors. Medication reconciliation is when you compare your current or updated list of medications, both prescription and over-the counter, to what you have been taking. This should be done every time a medication changes or you interact with a new health care provider.
(Mayo Clinic News Network is your source for health news, advances in research and wellness tips.)
Filed under: General Problems
After months of my BARR stimulant becomming “disappeared”, I called everyone from my psychiatrist, pharmacy, drug insurance Co; no one could explain why,[ I even faxed the president Obama, Kirsten Gillibrand and my Congressman. I was sent a form from Kirstand Gillibrand but was beginning to run on increasing confusion, stress overload and dealing with my only sister dying from what eventually turned-out to be Lyme encephalopathy. After googling-in my BARR stimulant I found it at a CVS almost 2 hours away; I called and explained-to the best of my ability my situation. I drove there after becoming lost for hours. I received my medication for one month, the 2nd month they couldn’t get it but recommended a smaller pharmacy in the next town. After traveling to the smaller pharmacy and presenting my insurance cards, [Medicare & Medicaid], he said “I will tell you the truth; your $50.00 generic shot-up to $500.00 overnight therefore I can’t afford to order it for you.
This situation forced me to try alternative stimulants like Adderalls-which were very different compared to Dextroamphetamine Sulfate by Barr. After trying my best to research pharma-politics, I learned about the difference btwn distributors, manufactures and who bought-out who. I learned that TEVA pharm bought-our Barr. I learned the difference btwn Dextroamphetamine Sulfate & Mixed Salts.
A representative from my part D drug plan told me there is a new Wellness pharmacy not far from where I live. When I went there and explained my situation he went on his computer and said he could order it for me and it would be mutually do-able.
After waiting a week my Barr-Teva stimulant arrived and it was the same. The following month and after strange delays in “transportation”, the medication was a counterfeit-placebo, except for severe side-effects like 30# weight gain, edema so bad my socks cut into my calves and I had to make an appointment with my primary Dr.
Before my doctors appointment I looked-up the manufacturer in New Jersy to file a quality control report. I first explained that I had a counterfeit/placebo. the “chemist” ? said “You are not the same person as you were last week” I asked him have you changed, altered, added, subtracted, did anything at all to deviate from BARR’S original formulation ? He replied no. My primary doctor who has known me foe two years suggested blood-work and a heavy metals test. I had to repeat the heavy metal test as something went wrong and I had to take it over. Meanwhile, I couldn’t fit into any of my 12 shoes, gained 30 #s without an abnormal thyroid, felt like I was a virtual space-cadet and was literally off balance in every way.
The 2nd test showed positive for Cadmiun, Trioxide, and Cephalon, all synthetic ARSENICS. 3 mos later while at the library I Googled-in ADHD-ARSINIC and TEVA. Page after page came up with Teva and Arsenic; with the added notation from Teva that “you can’t touch us”, we can’t be sued.
I received Teva’s quality control report in the mail, [which states everything is the same, nothing has changed] and am in process of filing an FDA paper trail again as because of my severe non-treated ADHD lost the first one. Every other “stimulant” [I returned 6], also have returned 2 “opiates”,[ the last one have nearly killed me by causing more pain specific to the left side of my brain with migraine-like waves pin-pointing to an an almost anurysm like explosion]…….that was KVK “SUBSTITUTED FOR” oxycodone.
I can’t live like this. I’m not crazy and am not revisiting the same manufacturers. As I wrote the Commissioners: These medications are not standardized, and mislabeled as some FRANKEN MED they are not.
I hope you have a better understanding of my long and drawn-out situation.
Joy…you had mentioned in so many words that your medication, when it became available after a hiatus, was “placebo” and filled with heavy metals. What led you to this conclusion? I’m not saying that I don’t believe you, but those are some strong allegations. If you something that the rest of us are unaware of, please share how you discovered what amounts to the mislabeling and adulteration of a prescription medication. I want to believe you, but I need to see some evidence to back what you are alleging. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a pharmacist in California that got out of the dispensing game because I was not being allowed to care for my patients in the manner that I believed to be adequate. The profession is being run by the Mega-Chains and all they care about is production.
This is outrageous. My “medication Errors” are the result of several factors. The first resulting from governmental entities such as the CDC, FDA, WHO, IMF, and the drug companies following presidential orders creating chaos and a health care crises resulting from the REFORM . then the PLANNED “shortages” to buy time in setting the stage for propaganda, and meetings with “COSMETIC” companies, Veternarians, and opportunities to experiment with biosimilars or whatever.
Look at all the damage resulting from planned or not planned crises. Like the patriot act immediately set the stage for the “ever disappearing bill of rights”.
No-one seemed concerned that the sudden and without reason fact that many people died from suddenly and w/o notice or warning weren’t able to locate their medications.
My former pharmacist [in the parking lot said] ” These guys come in hre with shades and suits demanding to photocopy the files of every customer on controlled substances.” He said “What is this Communist Russia ???
When the drugs “REAPPEARED” they were not only like placebo but filled heavy metals. Because I’m not treated and my pain medication is a joke, [a fraction of what is says on the bottle]. No one cares if I live or die but I’ve come so far, and this is so wrong, something has to be done asap. When I called Assemblyman Kevin Cahils office about my medication stories, Alexandrea said “Well mabe we can create Legislation so that SOME PEOPLE CAN RECEIVE PURER MEDICATION”