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Every year, over 1 million people in the U.S. experience what medical professionals call "medication errors." As the name suggests, these injuries are accidental, and they occur when a mistake has occurred in taking a prescription or over-the-counter medication. Thankfully, medication errors are completely preventable.
How To Avoid Medication Errors
Using a few simple measures ensures that you or a loved one won't make a harmful mistake when taking a
medication that's designed to help you.While preventing
medication errors falls largely within the day-to-day duties of doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists, you can do a few things to take a proactive approach to this process. Simply being aware and involved can greatly reduce the chances that an error will affect you or a family member. Taking this quiz can help you become more informed about the right way to take medicine, the information you need to make good choices, and the questions to ask in a variety of medical situations.Whether you're working with your physician to follow a complicated prescription drug plan or you simply need an over-the-counter
medication for your headache, you can make sure you have a positive outcome. Remember that familiarizing yourself with prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications is only part of understanding how
medication errors can occur.To get a more complete idea of how to take medications and how they can interact with one another, it's wise to be aware of your full medical history and your daily health habits. What you eat, supplements you take, and even how long you spend in the sun can all affect how you respond to medication. Document everything to be safe and always communicate these details to your medical team.
