One morning Jane Harding took her first dose of a new prescription medication. Less than an hour later she lay comatose on her bedroom floor. The cause: Unbeknownst to both Jane and her physician, she had taken a drug that reacted badly to an over-the-counter medication she was already using.

Medication errors of various kinds happen at least 1.5 million times a year across the nation to adults taking prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements. Undoubtedly, these medicines are usually beneficial. Yet medication errors like this one can cause serious harm or even be fatal.

Now the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC), in partnership with the DCMS and a coalition of area corporations and associations, is leading an “Educate Before You Medicate” campaign to teach consumers what they can do to prevent medication errors. Part of the solution lies in the hands of an educated consumer according to Hospital Council President and CEO John Gavras. DFWHC and its volunteer partners are providing easy-to-access forms and wallet cards where consumers can maintain a complete list of their current medications.

“Medication errors are preventable when patients work with their physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers to keep a record of what medications they’re taking and take responsibility to know why they’re taking them,” Gavras explained. “We want consumers to have a list of what they’re taking and be able to provide that list whenever they receive health care.”

Beginning this month, consumers can go to www.dfwhc.org or www.dallas-cms.org, fill in their list of medications on free forms and wallet cards, and download them for easy access.

Joining in this landmark campaign are CVS, Walgreens, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Visiting Nurse Association, Dallas and Tarrant County Medical Societies, UnitedHealth, American Heart Association, and Genesis Physicians Group. Campaign participation is open to other organizations in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton Counties that wish to volunteer.

Participating physicians, pharmacies, health plans, and other providers also will make the forms and cards available. In addition, pharmacy participants will offer customers computer-generated printouts of their current prescriptions.

Most physicians will be using the Texas Medical Association “What Are You On?” materials that can be ordered or
downloaded at:
www.texmed.org/ Template.aspx?id=4657

Each TMA/DCMS member can order one FREE kit, which includes posters, handouts, and wallet cards.

Additional materials are available for $25 for each set of 5 kits.

The “What Are You On?” poster and wallet card can be downloaded at no charge if you’d like to make your own copies.