How Safe Is Your Prescription?

This is an American article, but I thought I'd include it because I like the part which tells patients what they should do to help pharmacist avoid errors.

From Consumer Affairs:
As an expectant mom, Kendra of Brooklyn, New York wanted the best for herself and her baby. Part of that care was a prenatal vitamin.

“My doctor gave me a prescription for the prenatal vitamin, Primacare One,” wrote Kendra. “I dropped off my prescription at the CVS pharmacy and when I returned to pick up the prescription, I was instead given Prednisone.”

The problem Kendra encountered is one of the most common prescription errors -- the kind that occurs when a pharmacist can’t read the prescription properly. Instead of contacting the authorizing physician to confirm the prescription, the pharmacist plays Russian roulette with someone else’s life. ...more