Medication Overdose During the summer of 2013, I dedicated my time to learning the fundamentals of being a clinical pharmacist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. From my time there, I knew I wanted to practice medicine professionally. As an intern, I spent a lot of time observing different pharmacists and seeing how they treat the hospital's many staff members. Whether it is a doctor, a pharmacy technician, a patient or another pharmacist, the pharmacist will always treat them in a professional manner. I learned that drug overdose was a major problem and cause of death in the United States of America. While I have never thought of drug overdose as a problem in a developed, highly literate country like the United States, there have been many CBS News articles that support this fact. On February 10, 2014, CBS News reported "Julia Roberts' half-sister found dead of apparent drug overdose." Nancy Motes, who was thirty-seven, was found dead Sunday in Los Angeles. According to the medical examiner, prescription and non-prescription drugs were found at the scene (CBSNews.com). Shortly after reading this unfortunate news, there was another article stating that from January 1st to January 13th, 22 people had died from apparently accidental overdoses, a dramatic spike, as reported by Health Director Michael D. Fine (Freyer and Arditi) . The list continues with articles reporting large numbers of deaths due to drug overdoses. When receiving a prescription medication at a local pharmacy, the individual may believe it is a fun game until he or she decides to consume a larger amount than directed. From there, the drug can harm the individual and possibly kill them. Drug overdose is described... halfway through the document... an increase in drug toxicity and can have a stronger effect. Pharmacists and doctors also recommend their patients to always order a refill (if necessary) once. their dose is close to exhaustion. If the drugs were required earlier than necessary, the patient would be left with a large amount that can be dangerous for him. This is why attending pharmacy counseling is a great opportunity for patients to learn more about the medications they are taking and their correct use. In addition to pharmacy counseling, patients can also practice safe use of medications using other helpful tools such as a medicine box. The medicine box can be a great way to keep all medications organized and limit a patient's daily medication intake. By taking these steps and methods, the patient can take all the necessary precautions to stay safe and avoid a drug overdose.