Medication Safety
Medication safety refers to the practices and precautions taken to prevent harm when using prescription and over-the-counter medications. While medications are designed to treat illnesses and manage health conditions effectively, they can pose risks if not used correctly. Adverse drug events result in millions of emergency room visits each year, highlighting the necessity for public awareness and education on medication safety. Key aspects include following prescribed instructions, being aware of potential interactions between medications, and keeping a comprehensive list of all medications, including supplements.
Patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers all play crucial roles in ensuring medication safety. It is essential for individuals to communicate openly with their healthcare teams about their medical history, any allergies, and current medications to prevent harmful interactions. Special attention is necessary when managing medications for children and older adults, as these populations may be at increased risk for medication mishaps. By practicing vigilance and adhering to established safety guidelines, such as never sharing medications and being aware of expiration dates, individuals can significantly reduce the likelihood of medication-related accidents. Overall, fostering a culture of safety and awareness is vital for optimal medication management.
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Medication Safety
Medication is prescribed to treat illness or infection, to alleviate pain, and to manage chronic disease. When individuals follow instructions, taking medicine should be safe theoretically. However, taking medication is not without risk. There are times when an adverse reaction may occur. Or there are instances pertaining to inappropriate consumption of medication when considerable harm may ensue. Educating ourselves about medication safety is essential in order to prevent unnecessary accidents. Emergency rooms at hospitals are often filled with such cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) state that over 700,000 hospital emergency department visits are as a result of injury resulting from the use of medication. The public need to be alert to safety precautions in order to reduce harmful adverse reactions to medication. Patients need to be vigilant, as do caregivers, pharmacists, and medical staff.
Background
Medicine is intended to help; yet if it is taken at the wrong time, if too much is swallowed, or if a combination of medicines that are contraindicated are consumed together, the results can be disastrous. Following directions appropriately when consuming medication is crucial. If a patient begins taking medication and experiences side effects, the patient should notify the doctor immediately.
A doctor's visit should include question time to ascertain from the patient significant information regarding previous experience with medication. Allergies need to be noted, both regarding food substances or medications. The doctor also needs to know what previous illnesses the patient has had, as well as the patient's current condition. If a woman is pregnant or nursing, this information must be disclosed. High blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions need to be duly recorded. There are certain drugs that need careful supervision, without which the patient's health is placed in jeopardy. These include blood thinners; medication for diabetes, such as insulin; heart medication; and medication to prevent seizures.
While the amount of medical emergencies originating from adverse reactions to drugs is high, many of these situations are preventable. With children many drug-related hospital visits occur because the child has consumed medicine unintentionally. Such poisonings can be prevented by not leaving the child unattended or the medicines in easy access.
Older adults, or the carers of the elderly, are advised to exercise caution when taking or giving medication given the increased amount of medication being taken and the potential adverse interactions possible. When more than one doctor prescribes medication, a liaison is required to insure thorough knowledge of all prescriptions is taken into account. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests four guidelines for avoiding medication misshaps: "Take medicine as prescribed; keep a medication list; be aware of potential interactions; and review medications with your health care provider" (www.fda.gov/for consumers).
Impact
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a PROTECT Initiative project: protecting the ones you love. This is a collaborative program aimed at keeping children safe and preventing medication overdoses. The premise is that through education and awareness lives can be saved (http://www.cdc.gov/medicationsafety/).
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) have created a guide to inform and facilitate being "smart and safe" with regard to medication. Their guidelines indicate the importance of giving all important information to members of the health team; getting the facts about the medication about to be taken; staying with the prescribed treatment plan; and keeping a record of all medicines taken (www.ahrq.gov).
Patients need to provide doctors and carers with a complete list of medications being taken. This includes all vitamins and mineral supplements even if the patient deems them to be harmless. Many herbal supplements, when taken with other medication, can produce a contrary reaction. Non-prescription (over-the-counter medication) must be noted too (www.ahrq.gov). A two-way relationship exists between patient and doctor. While the patient may assume the doctor knows everything, it is essential to provide appropriate details, as well as to check and verify the treatment and medication plan prescribed.
Ask the doctor! A vital form of medication safety is to make sure that the individual receiving medication knows what is being taken and why. This refers to basic aspects relating to the nature of the medication, the dosage prescribed (ensuring that there are no mistakes regarding dosage), the amount to be taken, and at time or times of day. There are medications that are not to be taken with certain foods or beverages. Patients need to check these details by asking their doctors or pharmacists.
Safety rules include completing a course of antibiotics that have been prescribed. In the case of an adverse reaction, the patient needs to discuss termination of treatment with the doctor. Medication that has been prescribed for one person should not be transferred to someone else. There may be finer details that a friend may not be cognizant of and recommending or giving medicine to another person is neither safe nor wise. Expiration dates on medication require checking so that tablets, liquids, or ointments are not used beyond these dates.
When someone is under the care of a nurse or caregiver or any other professional, it is essential the entire health-care team coordinate medical treatment and medicinal intake. The doctors, carers, and pharmacists should have a common knowledge base of what is occurring, so that mistakes can be prevented.
Safety precautions in the case of young children mean putting medication (including vitamins) out of children's reach. Most medicine bottles are now created with a flow restrictor or safety lock, so that they cannot be opened easily by a child. Caution is advised to avoid unnecessary accidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide the statistic that more than 60,000 young children per annum land in emergency rooms because if wrongful medicine consumption (www.cdc.gov).
Medication safety depends on raising public awareness of safety issues, providing information through educational programs and via the media, and implementing safety precautions.
Bibliography
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (AHRQ). (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Web. 9 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ahrq.gov/health-care-information/topics/topic-medication-safety.html>.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC). "Medication Safety Program." Web. 9 Nov. <http://www.cdc.gov/medicationsafety/>.
Hughes, Rhonda G., and Blegen, Mary A. Medication Administration Safety. Chapter 37. Web. 9 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2656/>.
Pfizer. "Medication Safety for the Elderly: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers." Oct. 2011. Web. 9 Nov. 2015. <http://www.pfizer.com/files/health/medicine‗safety/4-6‗Med‗Safety‗for‗Elderly.pdf>.
Safe Kids Worldwide. Web. 9 Nov. 2015. <http://www.safekids.org/medication-safety>.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (FDA). "Drug Safety and Availability." Web. 9 Nov. 2015. <http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/default.htm>.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (FDA). "Four Medication Safety Tips for Older Adults." Web. 9 Nov. 2015. <http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm399834.htm>.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus. Medical Encyclopedia. Web. 9 Nov. 2015. <https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html>.