Definition
Dual medication is when a patient under a doctor’s care is inadvertently given two medications with the same active ingredient. It is also possible for the patient to purchase medications as part of self-medication that result in a dual medication.
Examples
For example, duplicate prescribing can occur when a patient receives a new generic drug and continues to take the original drug because he or she assumes that they are two different drugs because of the different names. Other risks include hospitalizations, seeing different physicians, changes in medications, and combination drugs such as flu medications.
Risks of dual medication
If a drug is given twice instead of once, twice the dose is also given. This creates a risk for overdose, poisoning, and adverse effects. How great the risk is also depends on the therapeutic range of the active ingredient.
Countermeasures
- Medication analysis
- Discussion of medication with a specialist (counseling sessions).
- Prescription validation (pharmacy)
- Computer-assisted systems (e.g., verification with ATC code), electronic patient record.
