Medication Errors
If you have to be hospitalized, the authors suggest you take the following steps:
Ask an attendant what drugs you are being given.
Do not take any drug without knowing the reason for taking it.
You have the right to have a close person present when you receive medication, and are not able to monitor the process yourself.
Before any surgery, ask about medications you should take, or stop taking prior to undergoing the surgery.
Before being discharged, obtain a list of medications you should take at home. Review the list with your physician, and be sure to understand how they are to be taken.
Most of the new generation of physicians are all too happy to have knowledgeable patients who participate in their treatment by researching and asking questions. You should not be shy to ask - the cost of not asking is too high. If your physician is not cooperative, you should take this to heart, and look for someone else to treat you. After all, it's your life that will be impacted in something goes wrong!
Note: in this context, you may also wish to read the series on hospital risks.
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Last Modification - August 24, 2006