medication[/caption]Editor---Medication errors are such a problem for the elderly that many choose to live in assisted living complexes in order to get help. What is happening with the medical community to help avoid this problem and what alternatives might there be for some of these problems.
Some of these errors result from medications that are spelled or pronounced similarly, which is why some medications are being relabeled in order to avoid, at the dispensing level of the neighborhood drug store, some potential problems that can be found there. In fact the FDA and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) have iniatied a campaign nationally to help educate professionals and to eliminate ambiguous medical abbreviations that can be misinterpreted by pharmacies or medical staff.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices puts out brochures and instructional manuals on how to properly dispense medications. Medical professionals can subscribe to some of their periodicals, especially designed to help avoid medication errors.
The Agency for Health Research and Quality brings the information to help individuals avoid making mistakes with their medications. This is an important part of the agency’s focus, as it is often at the individual level where education must occur, especially if one wants to avoid having to live in a care facility just to have medication properly administered, when even in these residences mistakes often happen. So individual education becomes critical, especially with advancing age.
Some of the suggestions include:
- Making sure the doctor is informed about all medications and that these are brought to doctor visits. It’s also important to let the doctor know about any allergies and over the counter supplements you are taking.
- If you have questions or concerns, ask questions. Make sure someone is coordinating your care that has all the information they need to do it..
You have a right to question anyone who is involved with your care.
- Read the prescription before you have it filled, preferably at the doctor’s office where you can ask questions about something you might not understand. Ask what the medication is for, how long it should be taken and what side effects one might be concerned about and how often these side effects might occur.
- When you pick up your medicine, ask the pharmacist if this is the medication prescribed by the doctor. Ask questions about what some of the labels say, some of which can be hard to understand. Hospital Stays
