When you take a pill, you expect it to help—not hurt. But medication errors, mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, or taking drugs that lead to harm. Also known as drug errors, they’re one of the leading causes of preventable hospital visits in older adults. These aren’t just rare accidents. They happen because of simple oversights: taking two drugs that clash, missing a dose because the label was unclear, or not realizing your supplement is secretly boosting your thyroid meds.
Drug interactions, when two or more medications affect each other’s action in the body. Also known as medication clashes, it’s not just about pills—green tea can mess with blood thinners, fiber supplements can block absorption of thyroid medicine, and even ashwagandha can push your thyroid levels too high. Then there’s anticholinergic drugs, a class of medications that block acetylcholine and include common over-the-counter sleep aids and bladder pills. Also known as anticholinergic burden drugs, they’re linked to memory loss, confusion, and even dementia when taken long-term—yet most people don’t realize they’re on them. And duplicate medications, when the same drug or similar ones are prescribed by different doctors without anyone noticing. Also known as medication overlap, this is especially common after specialist visits, where one doctor prescribes a new drug without knowing what another already ordered. These aren’t theoretical risks. They’re daily realities for millions.
You don’t need to be a pharmacist to protect yourself. Keep a real-time list of everything you take—prescriptions, supplements, even occasional painkillers. Use one pharmacy so they can flag clashes. Ask: "Could this interact with anything else I’m on?" and "Is this really necessary?" Most errors happen because no one asked. The posts below cover exactly these situations: how Benadryl can trigger delirium in seniors, why switching to a generic thyroid pill might need a dose change, how to stop taking two drugs that do the same thing, and what to do when your pharmacy’s allergy alert is wrong. You’ll find real advice from people who’ve been there—not theory, not guesswork. Just clear, practical steps to keep you safe.
