Common Prescription Drug Errors

Most people take medication at some point, whether for a chronic condition or to treat an illness. While medications can help restore health, they can also present certain risks. This is why it’s essential to be aware of these risks and take necessary precautions to reduce the risk of a pharmaceutical error.

Below are some of the most common prescription drug errors, including ways you can help prevent them,

Dispensing the Wrong Medication

One of the most common prescription drug errors is dispensing the wrong medication. This can happen for various reasons, including confusion over transposing similar-sounding names or prescription numbers. Sometimes, patients may be given the wrong medication because the pharmacy has run out of the drug they were prescribed and needs to substitute another.

Miscalculating a Dose

One of the most common errors made when prescribing drugs is miscalculating the dosage. This can happen for many reasons, including incorrect measurements, confusion over metric conversions, and misinterpreting instructions.

Miscalculating the dosage can have serious consequences, leading to under or overdosing. Underdosing can cause the treatment to be ineffective while overdosing can be dangerous or even fatal.

Failure to Disclose Drug Interactions

Making sure that your prescription medication does not interact with other medications you’re currently taking is one of the essential things a pharmacist does. Drug interactions can be very harmful and can lead to organ failure or even death. Sadly, not all pharmacists or technicians know potential interactions, resulting in prescription errors.

Avoiding Errors

While it should be a pharmacist’s job to disclose important information about your medication, sometimes it’s best to double-check everything before leaving the pharmacy. If your pharmacist recommends another medication, be sure to call your doctor to ensure that the drug will be effective and safe. Also, ask your doctor what dosage you will be taking ahead of time to ensure that is what you are being prescribed when it comes time to pick up your prescription. Lastly, speak with your doctor about potential drug interactions before getting prescribed medication.