Medication management is important for everyone. It is important to ensure there are no medication interactions and also to maintain your prescribed regimen to ensure good health. Senior Citizens in particular, often take many different medications to treat different symptoms and conditions. According to an article in American Nurse today, over 44 % of men and 57% of women over 65 take 5 or more medications per week, and about 12% of both men and women take 10 or more medications per week. Elderly adults are at risk for side effects or dangerous interactions because as we age, our bodies metabolize medications differently; therefore elderly patients may have adverse reactions to medications and combinations of medications.
This is one reason medication management is particularly important for Senior Citizens. Pill organizers, pill dispensers and medication reminder services, such as an application on a cellular device can be helpful to keep medications organized. It is important that caregivers follow up with the elderly to make sure that the medication is being given at the correct time and in the correct amount.
Some other ways to ensure good medication management are to make sure that the label on your prescription bottle tells the reason that the patient is taking the medication in addition to dosing instructions. This can help caregivers monitor medications and make sure the patients are not being given multiple medications for the same problems. It is also important to keep an up to date medication list with all current medications and their dosages. Bring this list with you when you go to the doctor so that all the doctors are aware of the medication that has been prescribed by other doctors.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! A good question to ask is to make sure the dosage of medication is appropriate for an elderly patient. Talk to the pharmacist about the combination of medications that you are on, and make sure there are no interactions that your doctor was not aware of. There are some medications that are not safe for the elderly, make sure to check that you have not been prescribed any of these. Ask your pharmacist about possible side effects, and make sure to report any reactions that you might have had in the past.
Ultimately, as we age, we depend more and more on our caregivers to assist in our daily medication management. It is helpful to have all medications and dosages in one place and to try to minimize the providers that you see to avoid over prescribing. It is also a good idea to use just one pharmacy, as they can double check all medications for interactions.