Know Your Drugs

“At least 1.5 million patients are harmed every year from being given the wrong drugs, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. That's an average of one person per U.S. hospital per day.”
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHealth/10Things...
It is estimated that millions of people sustain injuries and wrongful deaths each year in the United States because they received the wrong drug, instruction, or dosage. Most victims come from nursing homes and hospitals.

Doctors fail to look at a person’s allergies, other conditions, and other medications being consumed when prescribing medication to a patient. Sometimes their handwriting is the problem. Many doctors write too sloppy for the pharmacist to read which leads to improper dosage and usage. Other problems could be difficulty in remembering the correct suffixes for the medication.

Pharmacists are also a reason why so many people are being given the wrong medication.
In 2004 Walgreens gave young child steroids instead of blood pressure medication for two months. The child started early puberty and had fits of outrage as a result. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2008-02-11-prescription-...

As consumers we all need to be aware of what we put into our bodies especially if it is a powerful medication. Consumers should research and understand their drug. We should all be aware of the normal side effects and signs of overdose when consuming medications.
Recognize if there is a change in price of a particular medication; it may be the wrong medication.
Always tell your doctor about your allergies including food allergies.
Always tell your doctor about other medications you are taking and conditions.
Always tell the doctor if you are not feeling better or getting worse even with the medication.
Here is where you can get more tips. http://lungdiseases.about.com/od/generalinformation1/qt/tips_med_errors....