PERSONAL/HOME CARE
• Maintain a list of prescription drugs, • nonprescription drugs and other products, • such as vitamins and minerals, you are taking. • Take this list
with you whenever you visit a • health care provider and have him or her • review it. • Be aware of where to find educational material • related to your medication(s) in the local • community and at reliable web sites.
|
AMBULATORY CARE/OUTPATIENT CLINIC
• Have the prescriber write down the name of • the drug (brand and generic, if available), what • it is for, its dosage, and how often to take it,
or • provide other written material with this • information. • Have the prescriber explain how to use the • drug properly. • Ask about the drug’s side effects and what to • do if you experience a side effect. |
PHARMACY
• Make sure the name of the drug (brand or • generic) and the directions for use received at • the pharmacy are the same as that written • down by the prescriber. • Know that you can review your list of • medications with the pharmacist for additional • safety. • Know that you have the right to counseling by • the pharmacist if you have any questions. You • can ask the pharmacist to explain how to • properly take the drug, the side effects of the • drug, and what to do if you experience side • effects (just as you did with your prescriber). • Ask for written information about the • medication. |
HOSPITAL INPATIENT CARE
• Ask the doctor or nurse what drugs you are • being given at the hospital. • Do not take a drug without being told the • purpose for doing so. • Exercise your right to have a surrogate present • whenever you are receiving medication and • are unable to monitor the medication-use • process yourself. • Prior to surgery, ask whether there are • medications, especially prescription antibiotics, • that you should
take or any that you should • stop taking preoperatively. • Prior to discharge, ask for a list of the • medications that you should be taking at home, • have a provider review them with you, and be • sure you understand how these medications • should be taken. |
