TV detective Columbo always asked that last question of the suspect right when it looked like he was getting ready to leave. He would fumble around, getting to know the suspect, getting their guard down, and then bam! That ‘gotcha’ question.
You don’t have to totally ‘Columbo’ your pharmacist. But it is important to get to know them. The more comfortable you are with your pharmacist, the more likely it is you will ask the important questions.
What are the important questions? Shane Reeves, pharmacist and co-owner of Reeves Sain, says the first and most important question is:
What is this medication used for?
The Doctor says you need a new drug. Her office faxes the prescription to the pharmacy. You pick it up. You follow the instructions. Why do you need to know what it does? What, you’re going to play pharmacist? Call your friends and talk about your new drug like people talk about their new cell phone?
People make mistakes. Well meaning, well trained, hard working people make mistakes. This week, four out of five adults in the U.S. will use prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs, or dietary and herbal supplements. Almost one out of three adults take five or more different medications. With so many medications, error can, and does, happen – whether in the Doctors office, the pharmacy, or between the two.
A pregnant woman picked up a medication without asking what it was for. Sadly, a mistake had been made, and instead of what her physician had prescribed, she was given a chemotherapy agent. She lost her baby. Not her fault, but this tragedy could have been prevented with a simple question: what is this medication used for?
Adverse reactions to medications could be classified as the fourth leading cause of death among people over the age of 65. Even non fatal medication mistakes can seriously undermine health and quality of life. Common medication-related problems in the elderly, for example, include dizziness, instability, falls (which themselves are a leading cause of death and disability among older adults), confusion, loss of energy, fatigue and swelling.
It is so important to take every effort to be safe. Taking one extra minute to know for sure what a medication does is well worth our time. What keeps us from asking? Are we embarrassed? Afraid we’re wasting the pharmacists time? Let us know what you think!
Also, if you have a story about asking questions – good or bad – please post.
