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The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada) recently started publishing helpful and timely newsletters with a focus on patient education.
This edition highlights that the correct way to take your medications is not always obvious. For example, a consumer who did not understand how to take a diabetes medication shared a report with ISMP Canada through the SafeMedicationUse.ca website. The consumer was prescribed metformin, to be taken "three times daily". This consumer was meant to take the metformin at three different times during the day, with meals (for example, with breakfast, lunch and supper). However, this was not clear to the consumer from the directions on the label.
The consumer took three tablets each day, but sometimes took two at the same time. As a result, the consumer was sometimes taking too much medicine and at other times was not taking enough. Fortunately, the problem was discovered by a family member and corrected. Unfortunately, this consumer is not alone.
So how can you as a consumer avoid mistakes and make sure you and your family members take medicines properly? Read the newsletter for ISMP Canada's suggestions: http://www.safemedicationuse.ca/newsletter/downloads/ISMPC_2010_06_Understand_How_to_Take_Your_Medicine.pdf
