
how to -watch medications



Check out the YouTube video from the Families Launching Action Against Medication Errors organization.
Find uses, warnings, side effects and interactions to medications. Search by name or medical condition for prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications.
Information from The Joint Commission on avoiding medication errors.
Did you know that 1.5 million people a year are injured by medication errors? That’s according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
We regularly dealt with medication errors, as well as just straightforward medication complications. The problems were seemingly endless. The medication would make our dad sick, or itch, or completely change his disposition. He was given medications that weren’t effective for someone his age, and sometimes he was taken off drugs cold turkey, causing withdrawal on top of his primary medical issues. He wasn’t given tests that were essential for certain meds. There were times he was given too much medication, or not given enough. The list goes on and on and on.
The two most important things we learned: Keep an updated list of all medications, and always ask if any meds have been changed.
We regularly dealt with medication errors, as well as just straightforward medication complications. The problems were seemingly endless. The medication would make our dad sick, or itch, or completely change his disposition. He was given medications that weren’t effective for someone his age, and sometimes he was taken off drugs cold turkey, causing withdrawal on top of his primary medical issues. He wasn’t given tests that were essential for certain meds. There were times he was given too much medication, or not given enough. The list goes on and on and on.

Here are the things we kept our eyes on:
- Name of the medication (including over-the-counter meds, vitamins and herbs)
- Dosage and schedule of usage (how much and when should it be taken)
- Special instructions, such as take with food or don’t mix with other meds
When our dad started to exhibit strange behavior - like causing an uncharacteristic commotion in the middle of the night - our friend Betsy said, “Check to see if they’ve changed any of his medications.” Quite honestly, the very first time she said this to us (she eventually said it many times), we thought it was a little farfetched. After all, he was with medical professionals and they’d certainly see the connection if one existed. But we asked anyhow, and, sure enough, they had changed his sleeping meds the very night of the first incident. They missed the connection because they didn’t recognize our dad’s behavior as uncharacteristic. As happens so often, they simply didn’t know him and had nothing to compare his behavior to. Our dad’s medication changed frequently and often there was some sort of odd reaction. We learned to ask: Has any medication been changed?
There are 7,000 deaths a year in the United States alone that are associated with medication errors, according to To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System by The National Academy Press.
Almost half of the people in America don't take their medications properly, according to Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at the University of Chicago, and a frequent contributor to the web on medication issues. Dr. Hanauer offers these ten reasons why:
- They don’t understand why they should take this medication when they feel fine.
- They simply forget.
- The medication ran out and they didn’t refill it.
Here are some questions we found helpful to ask the doctor:
- Can you please give me the spelling of the medication, as well as the dosage instructions?
- Why was this medication prescribed?
- How will this new medication interact with the other medications my parent is currently taking?
One important thing is the surprisingly severe long term impact of general anesthesia on the elderly. My father was operated on in January, and while he was doing well physically, our family noticed his mental capabilities faltering. Three doctors independently suggested that the anesthesia can have this effect on his cognitive ability and it could take 6 months to fully leave his system. Needless to say, we urge you to inform yourself on the impact of general versus local anesthesia. If your parent has Alzheimer's disease, prepare yourself for potential negative consequences on his or her cognitive abilities following the surgery.
- John Marino, Westport, CT
“Thank you, I had never heard of AccuPax! Medication errors are, for me, the scariest part of being sick.”
- Janet Peter, Jacksonville, FL
- John Marino, Westport, CT
“Thank you, I had never heard of AccuPax! Medication errors are, for me, the scariest part of being sick.”
- Janet Peter, Jacksonville, FL

If you see a change in your parent's comfort or behavior, be sure to ask the doctor or nurse if there's been any change to your parent's medications?

"How Two Rights Can Make a Wrong" by Howard Markel, MD, The New York Times
"Patient Protection" by Tina Peng, Newsweek.com
"Just What the Doctor Ordered? Not Exactly" by Jane E. Brody, The New York Times
"Patient Protection" by Tina Peng, Newsweek.com
"Just What the Doctor Ordered? Not Exactly" by Jane E. Brody, The New York Times
