Know Your Child's Medications

St. Jude wants to provide the safest care possible to patients and families. However, we need your help to do this. We want you to be actively involved in your child’s care. This means that you need to understand the care that is being provided and ask any questions you might have.

Patients and parents who understand their medicines are more likely to use them correctly. By understanding these medications, you can avoid potential harmful effects from taking too much or not enough of the drug.

If you’re not sure why a certain medication has been prescribed, ask your child’s doctor, nurse or pharmacist for a printed medication card. After reading it, you can ask your doctor questions you may have. This way, you can work together as a team toward the goal of treating your child in the most effective way possible.


Safety tips

  • Discuss your child’s health history with the medical team:
    • Medication (Provide a written list of what your child is taking, why, how, and the dose. If possible, bring the bottles with you to the hospital, include over-the-counter and herbal medicines.)
    • Allergies and reactions
    • Immunizations
    • Previous surgeries
    • Previous hospital admissions
    • Pregnancy or sexual activity

  • Participate in and ask questions about recommended care:
    • Tell your doctor about any concerns you (or your child) have.
    • Make sure you understand the staff member’s answers. (It is OK to ask the person to explain the answer again or ask for a translator.)

  • Make sure your child is wearing a hospital identification armband whenever he is in the hospital. This armband is used to identify your child before treatments are given. It ensures that your child only has the tests, treatments and medications that have been ordered for him.

  • Make sure the staff member checks your child’s hospital identification armband before providing any care.

  • Make sure you have said it is OK for a staff member to perform a procedure or give medicine.

  • Know the side effects of a treatment or medicine.

  • Let a staff member know of any situation that you think puts your child at risk.


Medication safety

  • Understand the purpose of all medications.
  • Have the staff member update the medication list (reason for taking it, dose, how they are taking it, how often.)
  • If medicine is different from what has been received before (different color or method – liquid instead of pill.), then ask the staff member to double check before your child takes it.
  • Know the side effects of the medicine and what type of reaction needs to be reported to staff members. Alert the staff right away if you think your child is having a bad reaction to a medicine.
  • Know whom to contact with concerns or questions about medicines your child is taking.

 


 


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