What You Should Know when it Comes to Medication Safety
                     What You Should 
Know when it 
Comes to 
Medication 
Safety
Medications are prescribed to have a specific effect on 
your body, such as lowering blood pressure or 
decreasing blood sugar levels. While the “perfect” drug 
would only take effect on the intended problem, this is 
never the case. Besides the positive effects of a drug, 
there are also negative (or adverse) reactions that may 
occur.  In the US, there are over 2 million serious 
adverse drug reactions (ADR) each year and 100,000 
people die each year from adverse drug effects making 
ADR’s the 4th most common cause of death in the US 1.
The more medications you take, the greater the 
possibility of adverse effects. This can be due to taking 
more than one medication for the same condition, or 
an interaction that occurs between 2 or more 
medications. The older you are, the more exaggerated 
the negative effects may be, especially during the first 
few weeks after starting a new therapy. Often, after 
some time, your body will adjust to the new 
medication, and some of the negative effects may 
lessen or even subside.
As healthcare professionals, we want our patients to 
succeed in their health!  By taking ownership of your 
medications you can be empowered and take charge of 
how you feel in partnership with your healthcare team.  
Here are some questions you should ask yourself when 
it comes to your medications:
Why am I taking this medication?
How does it work?
What outcomes can I expect (positive and negative)
For instance, if you take medication for high blood 
pressure, be familiar with what your goal blood 
pressure should be. For some people, their blood 
pressure is higher than usual when taken at the 
doctor’s office (some people get nervous or agitated by 
waiting a long time). If you think that is the case, take 
your blood pressure at home, when you are calm and in 
your usual routine. Keep a diary, so you can accurately 
report your blood pressure readings to your healthcare 
provider at your next appointment. If the medication 
prescribed is not achieving its purpose, it is not 
effective in preventing disease progression.
Any new medication should be started when you will be 
at home, so that any negative effects will occur while 
you are comfortable and home. Report any adverse 
effects that are uncomfortable or intolerable to your 
pharmacist or prescriber.
Apps that we like when it comes to learning more 
about medication safety include:
Pocket Pharmacist
iPharmacy
Thanks for tuning in and let us know in the comments 
below what you think and if you have specific 
experiences to share about what works for your and 
what didn’t work for you please share in the comments 
section!
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For more tips on medication safety check out these 
sites:
http://www.consumermedsafety.org/
http://www.ismp.org/