1. Copy down the drug name and dosage on a separate sheet of paper from your prescription and read it back to your doctor to confirm. Check this information against the pill bottle with your pharmacist present. (You’re entitled by law to receive free pharmacy counseling every time you begin a new medication.) MORE: The Supplement-Medication Combo You Need To Avoid
  2. Confirm a generic’s brand-name equivalent and indication with your pharmacist after receiving your meds; many prescriptions are filled with generics, meaning the drug name on a bottle label could be different from the one your physician wrote down.
  3. Verify the medication’s “indication for use” (the symptoms it treats) on the information sheet most pharmacies include with medications.
  4. Still unsure? Search for your drug by name online in the government’s MedLine Plus database. And call your doctor before taking the first pill if you still have doubts. MORE: 18 Bizarre Home Remedies That Really Work Common Rx SoundalikesIf you’re prescribed: Actos (for type 2 diabetes)Make sure it’s not: Actonel (for osteoporosis) If you’re prescribed: Celebrex (for arthritis)Make sure it’s not: Celexa (for depression) If you’re prescribed: Prilosec (for acid reflux)Make sure it’s not: Prozac (for depression) If you’re prescribed: HESpan (to thicken blood)Make sure it’s not: Heparin (to thin blood) MORE: 12 Secrets Every Pharmacist Knows (And You Should, Too) If you’re prescribed: Metformin (for type 2 diabetes)Make sure it’s not: Metronidazole (an antibiotic) If you’re prescribed: Sulfasalazine (for ulcerative colitis)Make sure it’s not: Sulfadiazine (an antibiotic)