What is meant by drug safety

What is meant by drug safety

Mean drug safety take medicines properly and buy medications from licensed pharmacies.

The Government institutions to assess the safety of each drug sift through the side effects and the way manufactured and is studying the results of animal experiments and clinical trials. In many countries drug must pass safety tests before approval and allow the sale.

Introduction

Although hospitals and health care institutions use sophisticated techniques, medication mistakes occur, and this can lead to long-term illness and even death sometimes.

The most important factors affecting patient safety is poor communication and a failure of the patient to understand the doctor's instructions and adhere to them. Patient can greatly reduce errors and improve safety during dosing.

This tutorial covers some of the things that the patient can do to ensure his safety and protect itself from medical errors.

Pharmaceutical safety

When dealing with patient medication, he himself is part of the medical team. It is very important that the patient take medications correctly. For this, the patient must know all that he can know about his medication.

When purchasing the patient prescribed medicines or request repeat prescription dispensing, patient should tell the pharmacist with all medications, all use of medicines sold without a doctor's prescription. The pharmacist will inform of or about him from any adverse drug interaction between these articles.

Each patient should know the medications. And recognize their color and shape, any symbol or logo printed on it. The drugs are different colors depending on dosage containers. Either liquid medications often have distinctive odors.

Each patient should open the cover of the pharmaceutical packaging when it takes his medication from the pharmacy, it must check the package to make sure it's the correct medication name, strength, or the correct calibre. And if the patient that the packaging free of label for the drug, he should ask the pharmacist to ensure that the medication is taken from the packaging.

You must give the pharmacist to the patient instructions oral and written when distracted the patient a new recipe. Each patient should be careful to understand the following elements when taking the medicine:

The name of the disease that the doctor said this medicine treats.

Brand name and generic name of the drug.

What this medication for the patient.

How many times a day should the patient takes the medication.

How a patient should take at one time.

How many days must continue to be patient in dealing with medication.

How should the patient medication, is covered with liquid or without it.

When should the patient takes the medication, take it with food, or Kiss, or after.

And the patient should understand what to expect from the medicine:

What are the results to be expected by the patient.

What are the side effects that may occur to the patient.

How the patient can distinguish the side effects.

What to do if the patient developed side effects.

 

The patient must know how to keep the medicine, to make sure if there is a need for a recipe to get the medication again without the permission of a doctor or a new recipe. And to make sure that as the doctor allows him to renew the medication.

It is useful to maintain patient medication record list. As this list will help patient management, and facilitate the exchange of information on medication with your doctor and pharmacist.

If the patient can dose medication on time, it must not assume that it can double the dose at the next appointment. He should ask the doctor or pharmacist about what he should do if he missed a dose.

Contact

Should human patient does not assume that all members of the health care team who cares about knowing all the details of his health. He should have told them these details and to repeat the news.

The patient should also be ready to answer many questions. And in some cases have to volunteer the information without asking anyone.

And important information to be patient as saying:

For any medications are sold only by prescription.

For any medications sold without a prescription.

It is very important that the patient tells the doctor the medications, including drugs that are sold without a prescription, such as aspirin or herbal supplements.

Doctors and nurses expect patients to ask them questions. If the patient does not understand what they are saying to him he should inquire about something. And if you do not understand then, he should ask them again.

If the drug is different from what the patient expects, it should inquire about it. For example, if the patient had a deal with orange, but now they give a green color instead, he should ask why before dealing with the new disk. He tells them, for example: "why is this disk on the disk that you address?"

To ask the patient to such simple questions can protect him from the errors harmless.

 

And not to forget the patient anything about his health, development or the surgery or medications, it can record in a list maintained and adds all the updates. This list is a medical history. And when this document exist, whether handwritten or printed on paper or saved in an electronic version, it becomes easy to submit all information to the health-care items.

Patient facilities

The disease is a difficult phase in the life of the patient, and the patient is not in the best conditions of the time. The patient must take into account to bring along a family member or a friend to help him receive the best health care and the understanding of the correct system for medication.

The escort can be a family member, such as a spouse or child, or close friend can help the patient speak in his name. In some hospitals, specialized persons call them representatives of patients or affiliates, they do this role.

Abstract

The patient himself can help health care elements in maintaining integrity and avoid medication mistakes and misunderstandings. And he should remember the following points:

The patient should provide elements of the health care team with information about their health and medications.

The patient should ask and inquire to ensure that you understand what is said.

The patient should bring along a companion if need help talking with doctors or nurses.

The patient should comply with the instructions provided.

The patient should ask the pharmacist about the medication instructions and to make sure that he understood these instructions.