There is a lot of medication guidance on the web and in the press about patients needing to keep all their prescription records on file at one pharmacy. This is a great way for the pharmacist to keep track of allergies, medical conditions and drug interactions when a new prescription is brought in for filling. And in a perfect world, this would work for everyone, but sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world or operate in a perfect healthcare system.

The fact of the matter is that our prescription plans dictate which pharmacies to use, and if another pharmacy company offers free antibiotics or $4 generics without using the insurance because it is cheaper to do so, we are going to take advantage of these cost savings. As a result of this, patients are creating multiple prescription records at multiple locations and are opening themselves up to drug misadventures. 

Let’s face it, we live in a free capitalistic society which dictates that a company can charge as much, or as little as they think the market will allow to obtain a product. If a company wants to offer free antibiotics as a community service, then they can do so. Just the same, if a retail chain wants to charge $90 more for a medication than their competitor, then they can do so, too. So you see, it is extremely difficult for the patient to keep all prescription records in one pharmacy. The expense forces us to make difficult choices on whether we put food on the table, pay the mortgage, pay the car payment, or pay the electric bill and have some money left over. No matter what, we will take advantage of the savings every time. And it can get worse when multiple providers are included in the mix… and fail to communicate with each other. This is the “perfect storm” for medication errors to take place.

So what is the patient to do to avoid having a drug misadventure? There is a simple solution: The patient needs to take more responsibility for their medication records. They must keep up with documenting their health progress and medication changes every time they go to a medical appointment. In addition, keep a current list of active medications at all times, and every four months, obtain a comprehensive medication review from a qualified pharmacist. These steps can keep you on the right path to avoiding medication errors and misadventures.

Until next week, stay healthy!

Dion