Tips When Getting a Prescription
Recent surveys indicate that over half of American adults take two
or more prescription and non-prescription medications, including supplements
and vitamins, each day. To help people avoid medication errors, the Federal
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has developed "Quick Tips When
Getting a Prescription," a card designed to help both patients and pharmacists
ensure that medications are used safely and effectively. It contains a
series of questions to help patients communicate with their clinicians and pharmacists
about their medication use. The card is one of a series of four "Quick
Tips" cards that provide information on getting medical tests, planning
for surgery and talking with your doctor. Also available in Spanish, the
cards are available free of charge and can be downloaded from the web at www.ahrq.gov/consumer/.
Created: 11/23/2002 - Donnica Moore, M.D.
