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Medication errors are more common among seriously ill patients than with those with minor conditions.
Signs and symptoms of a drug overdose include losing consciousness, fever or sweating, breathing problems, abnormal pulse, and changes in skin color.
Approximately 25% of all reported medication errors result from some kind of name confusion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released reports detailing the deaths of infants (younger than 1 year of age) who died after being given cold and cough medications. This underscores the importance of educating parents that children younger than 2 years of age should never be given over-the-counter cold and cough medications without consulting their physicians.
Illicit drug use costs the United States approximately $181 billion every year.