When you go to see medical professionals, you often vest your whole trust in them. After all, without knowing with certainty how anything works, you need to trust that your doctor will have everything figured out on your behalf and will make the best choices for you.
But doctors are just as human as everyone else. Unfortunately, this means they can make medical errors and mistakes. Thus, it is important to have an understanding of the steps you can take to prevent possible errors, such as errors with medication.
Medication reconciliation
According to Mayo Clinic, there are ways to cut down on the potential risk of medication errors. Though following these tips will not guarantee you to avoid all possible mistakes, it may greatly reduce your chance of experiencing them.
First, consider medication reconciliation. What is this? Medication reconciliation involves a doctor comparing their list of your medications to the list of medications that you currently take. This in particular is for people who take multiple medicines, as it allows doctors to check and ensure you are not taking multiples of the same prescription, that you are not experiencing dosing errors, and that you are not missing any medicine. This is especially beneficial when switching healthcare providers.
Asking questions
Next, ask questions any time a doctor prescribes you a new medicine. Ask about the medicine’s brand and generic names, determine the potential side effects, ask if the doctor can send you digital prescription details, and see if the medication might interact with any of your other prescriptions.
Despite these steps, you may still experience medication errors, though. In that case, consider seeking legal aid to determine what to do next.
