Many people depend on prescription medications to function normally on a daily basis. And while these medications may be of great benefit to your health and well-being medication errors can cause serious or even fatal reactions. As such, you would be well advised to take a proactive approach when seeing your doctor about your medication regimen.
So, when you are being issued a prescription, how can you help your doctor make sure that the medication and information you are receiving is correct?
Well, for one thing, you should always have your doctor go over everything that is written on a prescription. This would include the name of the drug prescribed and its proper dosage. This will enable you to confirm the label’s information when you pick up your medication at the pharmacy.
You’ll want to bring an inventory of the medications you are currently using with you to your doctor’s appointment. You will want to take this step with all of the doctors you visit.
It is possible for different drugs to have similar names that might be confused with one another if not written legibly. Therefore, be sure the prescription has the medication’s purpose written out. If the purpose of the medication is specified, then you will be better able to confirm the prescription with the pharmacist.
Doctors have the responsibility of making sure the medication they prescribe is safe for you to use and that the prescriptions they write are correct. But doctors are human and can make mistakes. Vigilance on your part may catch a mistake and may even save your life.
Still, a doctor could make an error that you would have no way of catching. If you are harmed due to a medication error, an attorney may be able to trace the cause and help you fight to recover any costs for resulting medical treatment.