Medication Errors: How Mistakes Happen and How to Prevent Them

When you take a pill, you expect it to help—not hurt. But medication errors, mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, or taking medicine that lead to harm. Also known as drug errors, these aren’t just rare accidents—they happen every day, often because of simple oversights or overlapping treatments. A 2023 study found that nearly 1 in 5 adults over 65 takes at least five medications, and nearly half of them don’t know why they’re taking all of them. That’s not just confusion—it’s a recipe for disaster.

Polypharmacy, the use of five or more medications at once. Also known as multiple drug use, it’s not always avoidable, but it’s often unmanaged. When you’re on blood thinners, NSAIDs, or Parkinson’s meds like carbidopa-levodopa, mixing them without checking for interactions can cause bleeding, kidney damage, or even seizures. And it’s not just about the pills you take—it’s about what you don’t tell your doctor. Supplements, herbal teas, even grapefruit juice can turn a safe drug into a dangerous one. Drug interactions, when two or more substances change how each other works in your body. Also known as medication clashes, they’re behind many hospital visits that could’ve been avoided. One wrong combo—like taking NSAIDs with warfarin—can send you to the ER. Another—like missing a dose of insulin or taking too much of a sleep aid—can trigger a cascade of side effects.

These aren’t just clinical terms. They’re real risks. Someone forgets their pill schedule. A pharmacist misreads handwriting. A doctor prescribes a new drug without checking the full list. And when you’re juggling treatments for diabetes, arthritis, depression, or heart disease, the chance of something slipping through grows. Adverse drug reactions, harmful, unintended effects from medication use. Also known as drug side effects, they’re not always listed on the label—especially when they come from combinations no one tested. That rash from a new antibiotic? That dizzy spell after adding a new blood pressure pill? They’re not just bad luck—they’re warning signs.

What makes this worse is that most people don’t track their meds. They don’t bring a list to appointments. They don’t ask, "What happens if I take this with that?" And pharmacies don’t always flag the risks. But you can change that. You don’t need to be a medical expert—you just need to be informed. Know your pills. Know why you take them. Know what to watch for. And if something feels off, speak up.

Below, you’ll find real stories and clear guides from people who’ve been there—whether it’s avoiding dangerous combos like blood thinners and NSAIDs, understanding rare but serious reactions like AGEP, or learning how to safely cut back on meds through deprescribing. These aren’t theory pieces. They’re practical, tested advice from patients and clinicians who’ve seen the damage medication errors cause—and how to stop them before it’s too late.