Reducing the Risk of Adverse Drug Events

[Warpy]

2. That list is what I saw in years of practice.

I know I'm on a handful of drugs. I stagger out in the morning and swallow them and there have been times I've wondered later whether or not I've taken them all.

Instead of overdosing, I just wait a few hours. If I haven't taken something, I generally know by then.

The best strategy and one I'll eventually have to adopt is the weekly pill dispenser, something available at most pharmacies. When I'm fully awake, I just portion out the day's drugs in each compartment for the week, clearly labeled. Down the line when I get foggier, I'll definitely make the three dollar investment in my health since this is the sort of thing that stops overdosing completely. I only wish they'd been something we could have given our most at risk patients at discharge. It could have stopped them from coming back in a few weeks with another accidental overdose. The problem that brought them into the hospital, forgetfulness, is the same problem that caused them to forget the pill dispenser when they went to the pharmacy.