Know how to prevent medication errors

Knowledge is your best defense. If you don't understand something your doctor says, ask for an explanation. Whenever you start a new medication, make sure you know the answers to these questions:

• What is the brand or generic name of the medication?
• What is the medication supposed to do? How long will it be until I see results?
• What is the dose? How long should I take it?
• What should I do if I miss a dose?
• What should I do if I accidentally take more than the recommended dose?
• Are there any foods, drinks, other medications or activities I should avoid while taking this medicine?
• What are the possible side effects? What should I do if they occur?
• Will this new medication interfere with my other medication(s)? If so, how?

Your doctor can help prevent medication errors by using a computer to enter and print (or digitally send) any prescription details, instead of hand writing one.