Be Your Own Safety Net

You can help reduce the possibility of prescription errors. Make sure you're getting the right drugs by taking the following steps recommended by experts behind the "Speak Up" program from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and others: 

Remind. Remind your doctors and nurses about any allergies you have or adverse reactions you've had to medications taken in the past. 

Read. Make sure you can read the prescription, including drug name, dose and directions for use. If you can't read the order, chances are your pharmacist can't either. 

Question. Ask the doctor, pharmacist or nurse about the side effects of the drug and how to take the drug. David Bates, MD, chief of general and internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, says just three to five percent of patients take pharmacists up on their offer to counsel them when they pick up a prescription. (See "Protect Yourself! 14 Qs" on page 65.)

Verify. Double-check with your doctor or pharmacist that any new medications are compatible with other drugs you take, including vitamins and supplements and over-the-counter meds such as aspirin.

Read again. Read the label carefully before leaving the pharmacy. Be sure this is the drug the doctor prescribed and that the directions are consistent with what your doctor told you. 

Take home. Ask the pharmacist for a patient information leaflet about the drug. 

Compare. When you get a refill, open the package and make sure the drug is the same color, shape, size and dosage as your previous prescription. Note that generic drugs may look different than brand-name products. 

Phone the pharmacy. Staff shortages, inexperienced staff, untrained staff or simply no one available to answer your questions can lead to miscommunication. If no one can answer your questions while you wait, call your doctor or pharmacy later in the day when they're less busy or more fully staffed.

Record. Keep a log of your drugs. Note the names of prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements you take, as well as what they look like.