Dangerous Mistakes To Avoid With Prescription Drugs

Last Updated on April 26, 2025 by Ade Aprilia

Prescription drugs come in many forms and can be used to treat an array of health conditions. While some of these medicines can be lifesaving, a lot of them can also be incredibly dangerous if you do not follow the instructions given by your doctor. From getting the dosage wrong to incorrectly storing drugs, there are many mistakes that can have nasty side effects. Here are just a few examples of dangerous mistakes to avoid with prescription drugs.

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Getting the dosage wrong

Many prescription drugs have to be consumed in strict doses – you can only consume so much in a certain time period, otherwise you will overdose. Even with over-the-counter drugs, this can potentially cause acute organ damage or extreme drowsiness or nausea. It can even lead to death in some cases. Of course, missing a dose could also be dangerous with some conditions. Always carefully track the medicines you are taking – consider using alarms and apps to help you track your meds. 

Mixing the wrong medicines

Some medicines cannot be mixed together, as they will have nasty side effects. Your doctor can advise you as to which drugs you can take on certain meds, and will only prescribe drugs that can be safely combined. Even with over-the-counter medicines like painkillers, you need to be careful as to which ones you mix – some are fine to take together like ibuprofen and paracetamol, but others are not like paracetamol and codeine. Use this drug interaction checker before combining medications. 

Consuming with alcohol or illegal substances

Alcohol and illegal substances could be dangerous to consume alongside many forms of prescription drugs. Always do your research, and consider abstaining from certain prescription meds (if safe to do so) if you plan to drink and want to avoid side effects.

Taking them when you no longer need them

You may have heard that taking certain drugs when you no longer need them can make you addicted or even have side effects like fatigue and nausea. Which of the following is true about warning signs of prescription drug misuse and addiction? Both warning signs are in fact accurate. It’s vital to stop taking drugs as soon as the condition has been treated. Prescription drugs like morphine-based painkillers can be incredibly addictive and could cause all kinds of long-term health problems if you get hooked. 

Not notifying your doctor of allergies

It could be dangerous to take certain medications if you have certain allergies. If a doctor hasn’t already been informed of such allergies, you need to tell them to make sure that they are in your medical notes. Don’t ignore side effects of medication no matter how small (such as hives or nausea) – it could be vital to tell your doctor, so that these types of meds can be avoided in the future. 

Using expired drugs

Almost all drugs have a use-by date, and some can be very dangerous to take after they expire. Examples include liquid antibiotics, insulin and EpiPens. It’s worth periodically checking the expiry dates of all medications in your home and disposing of any drugs that are past their use-by date (always keep the packaging for this reason). 

Incorrectly storing them

Storing certain drugs at the wrong temperature could cause chemical reactions that make these drugs unsafe to consume. Avoid storing drugs near heat sources and check whether drugs need to be refrigerated. It’s also important to store drugs out of reach of children, pets or adults that have dementia. 

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