Not all lozenges are for sore throats!
Most people are familiar with throat lozenges. Typically, they are a small, medicated, round or oval shaped and dissolve slowly in your mouth. They are used to treat sore throats, coughs, and other throat irritations. Common lozenges include brand name products such as Chloraseptic, Delsym and Vicks (figure 1) and can be purchased over-the-counter (OTC).
Learn MoreA documented allergy overlooked
A doctor prescribed Donnatal (hyoscyamine, atropine, scopolamine, and phenobarbital) for a man who was allergic to one of its ingredients, phenobarbital. Donnatal is used to relax the muscles in the bladder and intestines and to reduce stomach acid. The community pharmacy’s computer system issued a warning about the allergy, but the pharmacist missed seeing the message while entering the prescription into the computer. The doctor also overlooked the allergy even though it was documented in the patient’s chart. The error was discovered by the man while reading the pharmacy provided consumer medication information leaflet, which listed phenobarbital as one of the ingredients. The man did not take the Donnatal.
Learn MoreGrapefruit Juice and Medicine
Have you ever heard that drinking grapefruit juice can interfere with certain medicines? This is true. But, do you know why and which medicines you shouldn't combine with grapefruit juice?
Learn MoreFDA Campaign Aims to Protect Consumers from the Risks of Fake Online Pharmacies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently launched a national campaign to raise public awareness about the prevalence of fraudulent Internet pharmacies, which can be dangerous to patient health, and to help consumers make safe purchases.
Learn More
Good catch! A mother picking up a prescription for her son was supposed to receive methylphenidate for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Instead she was given a cardiac drug intended for another patient. The mother noticed the error because the pharmacist mentioned the medicine was for “chest pains.” It turned out that the two patients had the same name. Before leaving the pharmacy with your prescription, always make sure to verify your name and another identifier, such as your date of birth or address. It’s also important for pharmacists to provide drug information when you pick up your prescriptions. After all, that’s how this error was prevented.
