Alternative health and healing

Drug errors

You might get the wrong prescription or wrong dose in the pharmacy due to your doctor?s sloppy handwriting or when the pharmacist is not sure but does not double check the prescription. There are several medications that are look or sound alike but are for totally different conditions.

For example:

Celebrex is for arthritis                           

Celexa is for depression

Clonidine is for high blood pressure

Klonopin is for anxiety and seizures

Lamisil is for fungal infections

Lamictal is for bipolar disorder

Zyrtec is for allergies

Zantac is for acid reflux

Oxybutynin is for overactive bladder

Ocycontin is for pain

Metronidazole is an antibiotic

Metformin is for type 2 diabetes

It is very easy to miss and mix them but this easy mix up might have serious health consequences. You can avoid the mistakes by having your doctor spell the medication and dose for you at the visit, take your note to the pharmacy and have your pharmacist check the prescription and the filled medication label against it. It takes only an extra couple of minutes but it can save you from unnecessary suffering or can even save your life.