Home Health Using Over-the-Counter Drugs to Avoid Medication Errors Wisely

Using Over-the-Counter Drugs to Avoid Medication Errors Wisely

311
0

According to the United Health Foundation, the misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs results in 178,000 hospitalizations per year. Antacids neutralise some medications, making them inactive. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs might prolong bleeding time and induce internal bleeding or liver damage if taken for longer than recommended on the label. If we don’t have all of the information we need before taking an OTC, we risk making a medication error; even worse, we risk losing our health or our lives.

It is vital that we become knowledgeable consumers as more prescription drugs become available over-the-counter (OTC). Just because a drug is now available over-the-counter doesn’t imply it’s any safer to take than it was when it was prescribed. If we choose to make use of them, we must first educate ourselves on how to do so efficiently.

We don’t think about how we can both cause and prevent pharmaceutical and other medical mistakes. A medicine error is more likely to occur if any of the seven acts listed below are not completed; however, if we complete them, we are more likely to avoid errors.

Use the drug just for its intended use; do your research and understand what you’re taking and why you’re taking it.

Pay heed to the dosage and frequency directions that come with the medicine and use it as advised.

Take only one medicine with the same active ingredient at a time.

If you have any questions or concerns about taking the drug, talk to your pharmacist.

Consult your pharmacist to be sure the drug won’t interact with any other medications you’re taking, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and vitamins. Few people are aware of their parents’ and siblings’ medical problems, let alone their treatment history. Clinicians are more interested in family medical histories than in the past as medical science continues to discover the genetic connection to numerous diseases.

The more personal and family medical history you reveal, the more clues you provide your doctors as they piece together your tale to arrive at a diagnosis.

A Medical History Family Tree will benefit you and your health-care team in the following ways:

helping with the diagnosis (most obvious)

choosing the most crucial tests to perform in order to keep an eye on such conditions identifying the best lifestyle habits for you determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions What is Remote Patient Monitoring in Telehealth that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of developing conditions that other family members have determining your risk of

Identifying risk factors in other family members to determine your chances of passing on a condition(s) to your children.

By communicating with your siblings and parents, you can share knowledge you’ve uncovered concerning conditions you all share. You can even find symptoms you’ve been ignoring that require attention. How to Avoid Medication Mistakes If your family isn’t used to discussing health issues, proceed with caution when opening the conversation. Explain what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, emphasising that sharing information can lead to more accurate and faster diagnoses. After you’ve completed, offer to share the knowledge you’ve obtained with them. Inquire about how they’d lie to disclose information, whether in person or over the phone, or in response to survey-style forms.

If you have any negative side effects, contact your doctor.

Make sure to tell your doctor about all of your prescriptions, including over-the-counter medications.

Medications are exactly that. Don’t be tricked into thinking that just because OTCs are available without a prescription implies you can use them without restriction.

As a result, become a “Wise Patient or Caregiver” by educating yourself, becoming active, and taking control of your health care.

Folio3’s Content Creator is Ellen. She is a retired total quality and knowledge management trainer and consultant with a BS in Medical Technology and an MA in Storytelling. She has personally survived cancer and three life-threatening medical errors, as well as working as an advocate for family and friends through medical emergencies.

6 Ways to Solve the Error Problem [pii_email_11fe1b3b7ddac37a081f]

How to Fix [pii_email_e6685ca0de00abf1e4d5]