|
Your public library has a lot of free information about health and medicines. Librarians are experts at finding this information for you. They can help you find trustworthy books, magazines, newspapers, and internet resources.
Here’s just one example of how a librarian helped and possibly prevented a medication error. A man told a librarian that he had trouble reading because of dyslexia. (Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes it hard to recognize written words.) He had just been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and he wanted more information about his treatment. The man also brought a bag of medicine bottles with him. Together in a private library room, the librarian and the man reviewed the directions on each bottle. She read to him from a drug information book. She told him about each prescription and its side effects and interactions with other medicines. She also made photocopies of all the information so he could take it home. The man returned to the library several times for more information about PTSD and his medicines.
It is always best to get information from a trusted source. At no time should the librarian take the place of your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. But the librarian can lead you to additional reliable information sources. For example, many television ads about medicines direct you to visit the drug company’s website for more information. A librarian can guide you there and also help you look for impartial information (not from the drug company) about the medicine. He or she can also help you find information on vitamins, herbals, and over-the-counter medicines.
Your library is a valuable resource in your community, let your librarian work with you to learn as much as possible about your health and medicines. The more information you have, the better protected you are against errors with your medicines.
| 
