Many adults across the country take prescription drugs, but not all of them use their medications correctly.
Every year, between 7,000 and 9,000 people die from medication errors.
“Medications can be difficult to take. They can be complicated to take, particularly the more medications someone is prescribed,” said Vanderbilt University Medical Center cardiologist Daniel Munoz.
But if you’re using your medications incorrectly, you could be putting yourself at risk.
In a recent report, more than nine million American adults said they had tried to cut costs by skipping doses, taking less medication or delaying filling a prescription.
“The more medications someone is prescribed and picked up at the pharmacy, the higher their out-of-pocket costs will be,” Muñoz said.
But not taking certain medications on schedule can be dangerous.
For example, skipping beta blockers can cause an increase in blood pressure, which can put you at risk for a heart attack.
Another mistake is doubling the dose if you forget one. It is often better to skip the forgotten dose if it is almost time for the next one.
Another mistake is to stop taking your medication. You should always take it for the length of time prescribed by your doctor.
Some medications, such as antidepressants, can cause harmful withdrawal symptoms if stopped suddenly.
Sharing medications with another person is also a mistake. Medications are prescribed taking into account your height, weight, age and medical condition.
According to UC Davis, every eight minutes, a child experiences a medication error at home.
The most common mistakes are giving the wrong medication, giving medications to which the child is allergic, or taking the wrong dose.
