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If you take either risperidone (Risperdal), used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, or ropinirole (Requip), used for Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome, check the label carefully to make sure you have the right medication, the Food and Drug Administration cautioned Monday. Confusion between the drugs has led to at least 226 cases in which people took the wrong one, including five who had to be hospitalized and possibly one who died.
Similarities between the drugs names and packaging, or illegible handwriting on prescriptions, appear to have contributed to the confusion, the FDA said. The agency has asked manufacturers of the medications to change the labeling and packaging so the drugs are more easily distinguished from each other.
Bottom line. If you take risperidone or ropinirole, check the name of the medication on the pill bottle and the appearance of the tablets to make sure you have been given the right drug. Also ask your pharmacist to confirm the medication is intended to treat the condition for which your doctor prescribed it. If you experience a problem you think is due to a medication error, you—or your pharmacist or physician—can report it to the FDA's MedWatch program.
Read more about common medication mix-ups and how to avoid them.
Source
Medication errors resulting from confusion between risperidone (Risperdal) and ropinirole (Requip) [FDA]
—Steve Mitchell
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