Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • About UPMC >
  • Why UPMC? >
  • ... >
  • Quality, Safety, and Operational Excellence >
  • Patient Safety >
  • Avoiding Injuries to Patients >
  • Medicine Safety
Quality, Safety, and Operational Excellence
About Us
The Beckwith Institute
Delivering the Best Care
Patient Safety
Establishing a Culture of Safety
Avoiding Injuries to Patients
Infection Prevention
Medicine Safety
Condition Help
Readmission
Root Cause Analysis Toolkit
WISER
Quality Measures
Innovation & Operational Excellence
Quality, Safety, and Operational Excellence
About Us
The Beckwith Institute
Delivering the Best Care
Patient Safety
Establishing a Culture of Safety
Avoiding Injuries to Patients
Infection Prevention
Medicine Safety
Condition Help
Readmission
Root Cause Analysis Toolkit
WISER
Quality Measures
Innovation & Operational Excellence

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Medicine Safety

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 out of 10 adults in the U.S. take at least 1 medicine. Nearly a third take 5 or more medicines. It's easy to see how such a high rate of use can lead to confusion and errors, particularly in a hospital setting.

At UPMC, our safety measures help ensure you get the right medicine in the right dose, in the right form, and at the right time. Our doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other staff work together to use the latest technology and clinical guidelines for safe medicine use. They do this across our health system.

UPMC's processes for reconciling medicines provide an accurate list of drugs for use by health care workers and you. This can reduce medicine errors, improve safety, and lead to quality outcomes.

What Steps You Can Take

Many errors happen at key transition points. These can include when you enter the hospital, move from one room to another, or go home.

You and your family can play a vital role in helping to prevent mistakes. Keep an accurate, up-to-date record of:

  • Any drug allergies you may have.

Also keep an updated record of medicines you take, including:

  • Prescription drugs.
  • Over-the-counter medicines.
  • Vitamins and other supplements.

Give your doctor, nurse, and pharmacist the complete, updated list of the medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take. You can do this at the start of each visit or hospital admission.

Speak up and report any safety concerns you may have about your medicines.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login