There is an interesting article online at msnbc titled "Look-alike, Sound-alike Drugs Trigger Dangers" about confusion between similar sounding drug names. To read the entire article, click here.
This is important people! Sure, we want to count on our doctors and pharmacists to get everything correct, but when it comes down to it, we, the patient, must be our own best advocates and check EVERYTHING including our prescriptions.
A couple years back, I got a handwritten prescription for pain medication from an alternate doctor at my primary care office. The pharmacist filled it. When I got home and looked at the pills I knew there had been a mistake. These pills were different than my regular prescription. I returned to the pharmacist and when I questioned him about the difference, he had every excuse in the book from a different company made the pills to the doctor made a mistake. The biggest offense I felt was that he said it wasn’t his problem and wouldn’t do anything to help. These were narcotics … opioids … serious medicine … and he wouldn’t help when I had questions.
End of story. The doctor did make a mistake with one letter on the prescription. When I called the doctor’s office, they made an immediate apology and correction.
Even though it technically wasn’t the pharmacist's fault, I immediately changed pharmacies because I want one that listens to me and wants to help.
Bottom line: Now I review with my doctor(s) every prescription so I know what it is supposed to be. I review new prescriptions with my pharmacist AND I look at every prescription, pill bottle and pill to make sure it is correct. What are you doing to make sure mistakes don’t happen to you?
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