It’s frightening and it’s not even Halloween….

I have some scary things to tell you and it’s not even Halloween. Consider the following:

• Older Americans are twice as likely to experience an Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) as younger Americans
• Fatal ADRs are the 3^rd or 4^th leading cause of death in older Americans
• ADRs cost Americans over $85 Billion a year
• 19% of hospital admissions in older Americans are due to medication problems
• ADRs account for 106,000 deaths a year

Do I have your attention? – I sure hope so because there is a lot you can do to minimize the risk of becoming one of the above statistics. First and foremost – know what medications you take and why. Keep a list it in your purse or wallet of each medication, its dose, why you take it and any allergies you have. Take the list to your doctor appointments and review it with each physician you see. Make sure each specialist knows all your medications, especially the ones they didn’t prescribe. Additionally it is in your best interest to select one pharmacy to coordinate your prescriptions. Shopping around for the “best deal” on each prescription, crossing the border for some or shopping on the internet may save you a few dollars, but cost you your health. Scattering your prescriptions all around town makes it difficult for one pharmacist to review and monitor your medications and look for potential interactions, untoward side effects or ADRs.

Each time you get a new prescription the pharmacist is required to go over what your are taking, what it is for, how you should take it, possible interactions, side effects, etc. If your pharmacist isn’t doing this – get a new pharmacist. They should be able to answer your questions in a way that helps you understand what you are taking and why. AND your pharmacist should be available to answer your questions as they arise.

Be honest with you health care providers. Several other things can impact the medications you take, how your body uses them and then gets rid of them. You should let your doctor (and pharmacist) know if you drink alcohol (and how much), if you drink caffeinated drinks (and how much), if you smoke, and what prescription and non-prescription medications (herbal remedies, homeopathics, OTCs) that you take. Not being truthful is akin to asking your doctor to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing.

Problems often arise when a patient is prescribed multiple medications. Your pharmacist can give you tips on how to keep your doses organized. A mediset is often used to place medications into compartments so that they are taken at the appropriate time of day and it is easy to see if you’ve remembered to take it. Managing multiple medications can be confusing and many pharmacies will set up your weekly mediset for a small fee.

Many of the new “designer” drugs and even some older drugs have special delivery systems. Don’t assume you can break or crush a tablet or open up a capsule. This can seriously affect the delivery of certain medications. Also don’t assume that because something is herbal or available without a prescription that it won’t interact with other medications. Always check with your physician or pharmacist before mixing medications, whether prescription or OTC. Another common error we see is patients placing multiple medications in one bottle for travel, etc. Except for weekly medisets leave every medicine in its own labeled bottle. And make sure your mediset contains information as to its contents.

One last thought involves storage. Don’t keep old medications around. Always store your current medications according to directions. Some things are meant to be refrigerated, others should stay at room temperature and occasionally some special drugs are to be kept frozen until used. Again your pharmacist can help you with this.

We have lots of tips to help you manage your medication regimen successfully, but I have run out of space for this month. Stop in and chat with your pharmacist about your specific needs.