The Five Most Dangerous Medicine Mistakes that Way Too Many People Make
by www.SixWise.com
At least half of all Americans take one or more prescription
drugs, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS). One in six of us take three or more.
For those aged 65 and older, five out of six take at least
one medication, and nearly half take three or more, the same
report found.
"Americans are taking medicines that lower cholesterol
and reduce the threat of heart disease, that help lift people
out of debilitating depressions, and that keep diabetes in
check," said former HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson.
|
At least 50 percent of Americans take at least one
prescription medication.
|
Surely, the list goes on from the there, which begs the question:
If close to the majority of Americans are taking drugs, how
many of them are making mistakes with their medications that
could result in harm?
Even under the best circumstances, drugs
carry risks. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine
found that one in four patients suffer from side effects of
prescription medications. However, when important information
is overlooked, or mistakes relating to your prescription made,
you may be subjecting yourself to dangerous, yet preventable,
effects.
If you or someone you love takes prescription medication,
browse through these five dangerous medicine mistakes and
take care to ensure that you don't make them.
1) Not Paying Attention to a Drug's Potential Side Effects
Many people are not aware of a drug's potential side effects,
even as they are taking it. A study on over-the-counter and
prescription painkillers, for instance, found that 54 percent
of those surveyed did not know of the drugs' potential side
effects. Further, of those who had experienced side effects,
30 percent did not consider themselves at risk of them.
Before you make the decision to take a drug, make sure you
know what the side effects could entail, and where you stand
risk-wise.
Some drugs' side effects are not what you would expect (i.e.
a rash, nausea, upset stomach), but instead are quite unusual.
So if you are taking Prozac and suddenly end up with blurry
vision, you will know to make the connection (Prozac and other
antidepressants have been linked to blurred vision).
How to Avoid this Mistake: Ask your doctor about a drug's
potential side effects before you take it. Then, ask your
pharmacist to double-check. When you bring the drug home,
read the label and information booklet it comes with, paying
special attention to any warnings and side effects. You can
also search for drug side effects using the Internet or a
trusted guidebook like The
Pill Book.
2) Taking a Drug that Can Interact Negatively with Another
Drug
The more drugs you take (and this includes prescription, over-the-counter,
vitamins and herbs), the greater your risk of experiencing
an adverse drug reaction becomes. The risk increases extremely
if you are taking four or more different drugs.
In terms of prescription drugs, there are several categories
that are especially risky when it comes to interactions. These
include:
-
Anticonvulsants
-
Antibiotics
- Certain cardiac drugs such as digoxin, warfarin, and amiodarone
However, over-the-counter drugs are not immune. Antacids
taken for indigestion can interact with prescription medications,
and antihistamines, used for sneezing, runny nose, hay fever,
etc., should not be taken with sedatives (sleeping pills)
or tranquilizers.
Even herbs carry risks of side effects and drug interactions.
St. John's wort, for instance, which is used to relieve depression
and anxiety, can interfere with how drugs are processed in
the body, according to the National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine. Drugs that can be affected by this
herb include:
-
Indinavir and possibly other drugs used to control HIV
infection
-
Irinotecan and possibly other drugs used to treat cancer
-
Cyclosporine, which prevents the body from rejecting
transplanted organs
-
Digoxin, which strengthens heart muscle contractions
-
Warfarin and related anticoagulants
-
Birth control pills
- Antidepressants
How to Avoid this Mistake: Make sure your doctor is aware
of your medication history and drugs you are currently taking
-- including vitamins, herbs and over-the-counter meds. If
he or she doesn't ask (though they should), bring it up and
tell them yourself!
You can ask your doctor specifically: "Will this new
medication interact with X, Y or Z?" (the medications
you're already taking). Later when you pick up your prescription,
check with the pharmacist to see whether the drug interacts
with anything you're already taking. Be aware also that some
drugs interact with food, beverages and alcohol, so you check
with your doctor and pharmacist to be sure.
3) Not Analyzing Your Prescription to Make Sure it is
Correct
|
If you're not sure what your pills should look like,
compare them with a trusted source like The
Pill Book to be sure you have been given the correct
medication.
|
Sometimes it's easy to forget that doctors are only human,
and they make human mistakes. They may mistakenly write down
the wrong medication on their prescription pad, or the wrong
dose or frequency. Pharmacists, too, can make mistakes in
what they fill.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine study, 39
percent of the side effects experienced by patients were preventable.
Out of these cases:
How to Avoid this Mistake: You must double-check the prescription
paper you're given, as well as the bottle of pills you pick
up. Make sure the slip of paper your doctor hands you is for
the medication he or she said it was, and at the same dosage.
If you notice any discrepancies, ask your doctor. If you're
picking up a new drug from the pharmacy, you can check The
Pill Book to make sure the pill matches up with the prescription.
(The book contains pictures of pills so you can compare.)
4) Storing Your Prescriptions Improperly
Certain medications are very sensitive to heat, humidity,
light, oxygen and moisture. If a medication is stored improperly,
even for a short time, the medication may break down, rendering
it less effective. Further, when medications degrade they
may not be able to dissolve properly, and won't be able to
be used correctly by your body.
"[This] can be a significant problem when you carry
medicine around in a poorly sealed container under high humidity,
as occurs along the Gulf Coast," says L. Timothy Grady,
Ph.D., vice president and director of standard development
at the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a standards-setting organization.
"Carrying medicine in a pocket next to the body can raise
the temperature."
How to Avoid this Mistake: Most people tend to store drugs
in one of the hottest, most humid places in the house: the
bathroom. Read the medication's label and store accordingly.
You will find that the bathroom is probably the last place
they should be kept. A cool kitchen cabinet (out of reach
of children or pets) may be a better choice, and be aware
that some drugs do need to be kept refrigerated.
5) Taking Drugs Not According to Doc's Instructions
Up to half of Americans taking prescription medications do
not take them as prescribed, according to the Food and Drug
Administration. Some patients may skip doses or take extra
pills in an attempt to intensify the drug's effects. Others
may feel better and stop taking a prescription before it's
finished, only to pick it up again months or years later when
similar symptoms arise.
Misusing medications can have serious results. A missed dose
of glaucoma medication, for instance, can result in optic
nerve damage or blindness. And overusing medications runs
the risk of overdosing or becoming dependent, where you must
take more and more of the medication to feel its effects,
or you become addicted to it.
But according to Professor Rob Horne, an expert in psychology
in health care at Brighton University, "One of the main
reasons why people don't take medicines is that they don't
want to. They either make a decision either not to take it
all or to take less."
Often, this occurs when a patient begins to feel better,
such as with antibiotics or anti-rejection drugs for transplant
patients.
However, if the entire course of antibiotics is not finished,
the infection may not be completely killed, and even if a
transplant patient feels "used" to a transplanted
organ, the body may not.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Follow your doctor's instructions
on how to take your medication. Don't skip doses or take extra
pills, and do finish the entire course of medication. If you
have concerns about side effects or dosage, talk to your doctor
before making changes.
Finally, if you have old pills, dispose of them -- don't
take outdated prescriptions (or someone else's meds) because
you think you have the same symptoms.
Recommended Reading
Adverse
Drug Reactions On the Rise: What You Can Do to Shield Yourself
from the Dangers of ADRs
Lutein:
Are You Getting Enough of This Anti-Aging Antioxidant Powerhouse?
Sources
Almost
Half of Americans Take at Least One Prescription Drug
National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
U.S.
FDA Tips for Taking Medications
BBC
News: Why Don't People Take Medicine?
Medical
News Today: People Not Aware of Harmful Effects of Painkiller