Prescription Medications

Smarts, safety and prescriptions

While prescription medications are usually beneficial, they may also be dangerous. If you abuse prescription medications or fail to take them correctly, you may have a serious adverse reaction, or the medication may cause injury to your unborn child. While your doctor is responsible for prescribing the right medication and your pharmacist is in charge of filling the prescription, you are responsible for taking the medications and assisting your doctor and pharmacist in any way that you can. Here are some tips on how you can fulfill those responsibilities:

• Make sure that your physician is aware of your pregnancy and knows what medications you are on, including over-the-counter medications and alternative medicines. If your physician is contemplating prescribing medications to you, he or she needs to make sure that they won’t have a dangerous reaction with any other medications you are taking.
• If possible, keep all of your medical care in the same group or practice so your physician can easily access your medical information and review your prescription medications. If you have to see other physicians or specialists, make sure that they receive your chart from your primary care physician, or ask them to speak with your primary care physician before prescribing any medications.
• Keep track of your medications by making a list of their names and the instructions for their use. This may be particularly beneficial if you are on many different types of medications for many different conditions. Keep the list in a place where you can refer to it easily.
• Only take the dosages that your doctor has approved. If you feel that any medication you are taking is not having its intended effect, call the prescribing physician. Ask if you can take more, or if you should be on a different type of medication.
• If you are having any adverse or abnormal reactions to your prescription medications, contact your physician immediately.
• If you have young children in your household, make sure that you have child-proof caps on your medicine bottles. Keep the bottles away from anyone who may not understand their use or potency.
• Never take another person’s prescription medication. Although you may feel that you have similar symptoms or a similar condition, you can’t be certain that you won’t have an adverse reaction to their medication or that dosage.

Speak to a birth injury lawyer

An attorney experienced with medical malpractice and birth injuries can assess your situation and discuss your legal right to compensation for your injuries. Contact Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo Plotkin & Hellman LLP in New York, NY, to arrange a consultation.