The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) judges a drug to be safe enough to approve when the benefits of the medicine outweigh the known risks for the labeled use.
Doctors, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and YOU make up your health care team. To reduce the risks from using medicines and to get the most benefit, you need to be an active member of the team.
To make medicine use SAFER:
- Speak up
- Ask questions
- Find the facts
- Evaluate your choices
- Read the label and follow directions
Speak Up
The more information your health care team knows about you, the better the team can plan the care that’s right for you.
The members of your team need to know your medical history, such as illnesses, medical conditions (like high blood pressure or diabetes), and operations you have had.
They also need to know all the medicines and treatments you use, whether all the time or only some of the time. Before you add something new, talk it over with your team. Your team can help you with what mixes well, and what doesn’t.
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Last reviewed:
On August 30, 2006
By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
