Medical errors - medicine; Preventing medicine errors
Medicine safety means you get the right medicine and the right dose, at the right times. If you take the wrong medicine or too much of it, it could cause serious problems.
Take these steps when getting and filling your prescriptions in order to avoid medicine errors.
Every time you get a new prescription, make sure you:
Your health plan may require you to use certain pharmacies. This means they may not pay for your prescription if you do not use one of their preferred pharmacies. Check with your health plan about which pharmacies you can use. You may have the option to buy your medicines in one or more ways:
LOCAL PHARMACIES
Many people use their local pharmacist. One advantage is that you can talk with someone if you have any questions. They can also get to know you and the medicines you take. To help your pharmacist fill your prescription:
MAIL-ORDER PHARMACIES
INTERNET (ONLINE) PHARMACIES
Internet pharmacies can be used for long-term medicines and medical supplies. But, be careful when choosing an online pharmacy. There are scam sites that sell fake drugs for cheap.
When you receive your prescription, always:
When taking medicine:
Contact your provider if you have any unusual or bothersome side effects.
American Academy of Family Medicine website. Getting the most from your OTC medicine. familydoctor.org/getting-the-most-from-your-otc-medicine/. Updated April 22, 2020. Accessed October 13, 2022.
US Food and Drug Administration website. Buying and using medicine safely. www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/default.htm. Updated February 13, 2018. Accessed October 13, 2022.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 5/12/2022
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025
|
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued. |
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.