Drug Overdose During the summer of 2013, I dedicated my time to learning the basics of being a clinical pharmacist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. From my time there, I knew I wanted to practice medicine at a professional level. As an intern, I spent a lot of time shadowing different pharmacists and observing how they treated the hospital's many staff members. Whether dealing with a doctor, a pharmacy technician, a patient or another pharmacist, the pharmacist will always treat them in a professional manner. I learned that drug overdoses are a major problem and cause of death in the United States of America. Although I never thought of drug overdose as a problem in a developed and highly educated country like the United States, many CBS News articles support this fact. On February 10, 2014, CBS News reported that "Julia Roberts' half-sister was found dead of an apparent drug overdose." Thirty-seven-year-old Nancy Motes was found dead in Los Angeles on Sunday. According to the coroner, prescription and over-the-counter medications were found at the scene (CBSNews.com). Shortly after I learned of this unfortunate news, another article appeared stating that between January 1 and 13, 22 people had died of apparently accidental overdoses, a dramatic spike, as reported by the director of Health Michael D. Fine (Freyer and Arditi). The list continues with articles reporting large numbers of drug overdose deaths. When a person receives a prescribed medication at a local pharmacy, the person may believe it is all fun and games until they decide to consume a larger quantity than is directed. From there, the drug can harm the individual and possibly kill them. Drug overdose is described... middle of document ...... an increase in drug toxicity and may have a stronger effect. Pharmacists and doctors also recommend their patients to always order their refill (if necessary) once. their dose is almost empty. If medications are requested before they are needed, the patient will end up with a large quantity, which can be dangerous for them. This is why attending pharmacy counseling is a great opportunity for patients to learn more about the medications they are taking and their proper use. Besides pharmacy advice, patients can also practice safe medication use by using other helpful tools such as a medicine box. The medicine box can be a great way to keep all medications organized and limit daily medication consumption for the patient. By taking these steps and methods, the patient can take all necessary precautions to stay safe and avoid medication overdose..