More than 4 billion prescriptions are written for Americans every year. That's an average of 13 for every man, woman, and child in the country, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. With the astounding number of prescriptions doctors write, it's no surprise that mistakes are made, mistakes that can be deadly.

The Medication Error Reporting Program says that confusion over drugs with similar names causes up to 25 percent of all medication mistakes. For example, two drugs — Brintellix and Brilinta — have similar brand names, but are prescribed for very different medical conditions. Brintellix is an antidepressant while Brilinta is a blood thinner.

Although a doctor's sloppy writing used to take a lot of the blame for patients being given the wrong drug, modern technology has added a new element of risk. When doctors using a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system type BRI into the system, both Brintellix and Brilinta appear on the screen.

A simple wrong click can produce a deadly result. Or a harried pharmacist shelving drugs with similar names side-by-side can grab the wrong one.

The following drugs are among those that are also easily confused:

• Paxil and Plavix. Paxil, an antidepressant, can easily be confused for Plavix, a blood-thinning medication.
• Adderall and Inderal. Adderal is prescribed for ADHD, but Inderal lowers blood pressure.
• Pristiq and Prilosec. Pristiq is an antidepressant while Prilosec is prescribed for heartburn.
• Risperdal and Restoril. Risperdal is an antipsychotic, but Restoril is a sedative.
• Zanax and Zantac. Zanax is prescribed for anxiety, while Zantac is prescribed for heartburn.
• Cymbalta and Symbyax. Cymbalta is an antidepressant, and Symbyax is used both as an antidepressant and antipsychotic.
• Celebrex and Celexa. While Celebrex is an anti-inflammatory, Celexa is an antidepressant.
• Lunesta and Neulasta. Lunesta is a sedative, while Neulasta reduces the risk of infection.
• Motrin and Neurotin. Motrin is an anti-inflammatory while Neurotin treats seizures and pain caused by shingles.
• Tramadol and toradol. Tramadol treats moderate to severe pain, while torodol is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug
• Metformin and metronidazole. Metformin is prescribed for Type 2 diabetes while metronidazole treats infections.
• Sonata and Soriatane. Sonata is a sedative, while soriatane treats psoriasis.
• Methadone and methylphenidate. Methadone treats addiction to narcotics as well as moderate to severe pain, while methylphenidate is prescribed for ADHD and narcoplepsy.
• Flomax and Volmax. Flomax treats enlarged prostates but Volmax is a bronchodilator used to open up the bronchial tubes in the lungs to ease wheezing.
• Serzone and Seroquel. Serzone treats depression while Seroquel is prescribed to treat depression as well as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• Iodine and Lodine. Iodine is prescribed to treat a deficiency in the chemical iodine, but Lodine is a nonstreroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescribed to treat pain and arthritis.

To avoid prescription errors, ask your doctor to explain your prescription — its name and what it's being prescribed for. Always double-check.

At the pharmacy, check and make sure the drug name on the label is the same one your doctor prescribed. Double-check by reading the information given to you by the pharmacist to make sure the drug in the bottle is used to treat your particular medical problem.