Reducing Errors in Prescription Medicines
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Errors in prescription medicines are unfortunate realities that send more than 1.5 million Americans to the emergency room every year. They can occur because of misunderstandings between similarly pronounced drug names which often get mistaken for each other. Other mistakes that can occur include incorrect dosage amounts, allergic reactions stemming from other prescription medicines, and even illegible handwriting.
Error Statistics for Prescription Medicines
According to the FDA's 2008 study on medication errors, 41% of mishaps resulted from improper dosages (too much or too little of the drug), 16% were due to incorrect prescriptions, and 16% resulted from improper administration for the conditions patients were suffering from.
Studies show that using electronic prescribing systems, used by only 13% of U.S. doctors, have helped reduce prescription errors. In March 2010, studies published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that 37% of paper prescriptions contained errors.
Patients can help play a role in reducing grave medical errors and avoid becoming victims by asking the physician what the prescribed medication is for. Knowing the name of the prescription drug that should be taken is especially helpful when reading prescription labels. Patients should be diligent about clarifying ambiguous dosage language with the pharmacist before taking the drug, and also read each prescription label carefully. Most importantly, the patient should keep the doctor informed about current and past prescriptions.
Patients who need to report any errors with prescription medicines should contact the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention.
