Mistakes in administering drugs can be fatal -- and they happen at the rate of 1.5 million patients per year in the US, according to new research. There are steps patients can take to protect themselves against harm from this common occurrence.

Although the vast majority of the errors do not lead to fatalities, 7,000 deaths were attributed to drug overdoses and other medication mistakes. The economic toll was pegged at roughly $3.5 billion a year.

One possible way of eliminating, or at least reducing such errors would be for doctors to use electronic systems to prescribe, suggested the report. Additionally, patients should assume a greater level of responsibility for checking their medication instructions and questioning them if anything seems amiss in order to protect themselves.

Protect Yourself

The Insitute of Medicine offered several pieces of advice to patients that could help them to avoid becoming the victim of a medication error:

Keep an up-to-date list of all medications taken -- both prescription and OTC -- including vitamins and nutritional supplements. Bring the list to all appointments with healthcare professionals.

In addition to your prescription, ask your doctor to provide the name of the drug, along with the prescribed dosage and other instructions. When you fill the prescription at the pharmacy, make sure the medication label matches the information given you.

Talk to both your pharmacist and your doctor about how to take the medication and potential side effects, and ask questions if any of the advice you're given is inconsistent.

It's a good idea to have your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy so that any potential interactions might be caught by its computerized record system.

Request an information leaflet from the pharmacy if it's not automatically provided with your medication.

Arm Yourself With Information

Be alert to any change in the way your pills look -- size, shape, color, etc. -- and ask questions rather than simply assuming the difference doesn't matter.

If you're given pills at the hospital, ask what the medication is, what it's for, and what effect it's likely to have.

If you're scheduled for surgery, ask if you need to stop taking any of your regular medications.

Before leaving the hospital, ask for a list of drugs you should continue taking at home, along with dosages and any special instructions.

Let relatives or anyone who might act in your behalf know that you have the right to have someone present when you receive medication in the hospital if you're unable to monitor the process on your own.