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How to Be Drug Smart
By Russell Wild
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How to Proofread a Prescription
Before you leave the druggist's counter, compare your doctor's prescription to the label on your bottle. You might catch a deadly mistake. June McKoy, M.D., of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, tells of a patient who was given Lanoxin (a heart drug) instead of Levsin (a drug for irritable bowel). To catch similar errors, follow this prescription for proofreading:
- Is your name correct on both the prescription and the medicine bottle? If you have a name such as Bob Jones or Mary Smith, make sure you include your middle initial.
- Is the name of the medication correct? Look carefully. Some drug names are similar. Norvasc, for example, is for high blood pressure. Navane is for psychosis.
- Is the dosage the same as what your doctor told you? Are the instructions clear?
- Doctors and pharmacists often communicate in Latin. With the help of the mini-dictionary below, you can decipher their dialogue.
| latin |
abbreviation |
meaning |
| ante cibum |
ac |
before meals |
| bis in die |
bid |
twice a day |
| gutta |
gt |
drop |
| hora somni |
hs |
at bedtime |
| oculus dexter |
od |
right eye |
| oculus sinister |
os |
left eye |
| per os |
po |
by mouth |
| post cibum |
pc |
after meals |
| pro re nata |
prn |
as needed |
| quaque 3 hora |
q3h |
every 3 hours |
| quaque die |
qd |
every day |
| quater in die |
qid |
4 times a day |
| ter in di |
tid |
3 times a day |
Traveling With Medications
- Keep your medicine with you—not in checked luggage.
- Bring more than enough medicine for your trip.
- Review your dosage schedule with your doctor or pharmacist before you leave, and discuss whether you should make allowances for changes in time zones.
- Keep a list of all your medicines and dietary supplements.
Project Editor: Steven Slon
Editors: Ken Budd, Karen Reyes
Researcher: Brenda Casale
Art Director: Carl Lehmann-Haupt
Designer: Nicole Salzano
Production: Niki Crawford
Now, check out the AARP Bulletin website's plan-by-plan list of pharmacy assistance programs—who qualifies, what the deal is, and how to apply.
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