Medication Safety
When you come to hospital, it is important to bring all of your medications from home (as well as the bottles or packages they came in) along with an up-to-date list with the medication dose, the time you take it and what you take it for. This includes medications ordered by your doctor as well as any over-the-counter medications bought at a local store or pharmacy. Sharing information about medication, will help to ensure that you are treated with the right medication.
Here’s what you and your family can do:
- Pack all your medication with packages and bottles in a plastic bag. This includes prescription and non-prescription medications such as cold/flu medicine, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies.
- Before you come to the hospital, make a list of all medications that you take, The label on the bottle will have the name, how much to take, and how often to take it.
- If you know what each medication is for, write that on your list as well. If you don’t know, before coming to the hospital, ask your doctor or at the store where you get your pills.
- When you come to the hospital, tell the clerk about any allergies you have.
We will work with you to establish your medication history. As part of this process, you may be asked several times – by nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other health care providers – to repeat the medications you are taking. This is done on purpose as part of our safety program.
We may also change the medications you are taking while in hospital. This may be on a short-term basis or your hospital physician may need to make a permanent change. You will be told if there is a change, and it is a good idea to write yourself a note or ask the nurse to make a note for you.
Our goal is to make sure that you always get the right medication at the right time.
