Prescription drugs with similar names pose a danger to families.

A frightening new study by U.S. Pharmacopeia says the rate of drug mix-ups has doubled since 2004. Doubled! Recently, a child was given Zyprexa, a drug for schizophrenia, instead of Zyrtec, the allergy drug he really needed. And, try to quickly decipher the difference between Acetazollamide, a glaucoma drug, and Acetohexamide, a drug for the treatment for diabetes. If the drug companies gave half as much thought to what they name their drugs as we do our kids, they’d try for a little more originality.

Here's a tip to keep your family safe from medicine mishaps: When a doctor gives you a prescription in that indecipherable M.D. script, ask him or her to write out the name for you in plain English. Then, when you get your prescription from your pharmacist, compare it with your notes.