When your doctor writes a prescription for your child, do you make sure you can read the handwriting?

If you can’t read it, the pharmacist may not be able to read it either. Asking your doctor to write clearly is one of the 20 tips for preventing medical errors in children offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

* Be an active member of your child’s health care team.

That means taking part in every decision about your child’s health care. Research shows that parents who are more involved with their child’s care tend to get better results.

* Make sure that all of your child’s doctors know about everything your child is taking and his or her weight. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbs.

At least once a year, bring all of your child’s medicines and supplements with you to the doctor. “Brown bagging” your child’s medicines can help you and your doctor talk about them and find out if there are any problems.

* Make sure your child’s doctor knows about any allergies and how your child reacts to medicines. This can help you avoid getting a medicine that can harm your child.

* When you pick up your child’s medicine from the pharmacy, ask: Is this the medicine that my child’s doctor prescribed?

A study by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences found that 88 percent of medicine errors involved the wrong drug or the wrong dose.

* Ask for information about your child’s medicines in terms you can understand — both when the medicines are prescribed and when you receive them at the hospital or pharmacy.

* If you have any questions about the directions on your child’s medicine labels, ask. Medicine labels can be hard to understand. For example, ask if “four doses daily” means taking a dose every six hours around the clock or just during regular waking hours.