Medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter, have the potential to improve health and well-being. Many people use medication to help them treat symptoms to assist in leading meaningful and independent lives. But, when not taken properly, they can sometimes cause other health-related problems. Drug-related illness is the primary reason for up to two-thirds of all hospital admissions and emergency room visits in Canada.
Seniors take more medication than any other segment of the population. There is an increase in the incidence of chronic or acute illness with age and seniors are more likely to suffer from conditions where drugs are a primary option for treatment. The physiological changes that accompany aging increase seniors’ sensitivity to medications’ absorption rate and the ability to metabolize and eliminate medications.
Seniors are also taking several prescription and non-prescription medications simultaneously resulting in more exposure to the risk of adverse reactions from unnecessary or inappropriate treatment and the misuse of medicine.
The risk of drug-related issues increases for seniors when:
- they live alone;
- more than five medications (including non-prescription) are being managed;
- they have problems with their memory;
- they receive different prescriptions from different doctors;
- and medications are filled at different pharmacies.
Communication is the best medicine for safe medication use.
Bring a current list of all medications being taken to all health care appointments, hospital visits and when seeing your pharmacist. Include all vitamins, natural remedies and over-the-counter prescriptions. There are various methods for an up-to-date medication record, but the simplest version is paper and pen. Keeping your medication record up to date is one of the best ways to avoid drug-related illnesses.
The Canadian Deprescribing Network suggests five questions to ask your pharmacist, physician, specialist and/or nurse about medication being prescribed:
- Why am I taking this medication?
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What are the potential benefits and harms of this medication?
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Can it affect my memory or cause me to fall?
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Can I stop or reduce the dose of this medication (i.e. deprescribing)?
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Who do I follow-up with and when?
It’s also important to know if existing medication will interfere with new medications being prescribed and to understand how you’ll know if the medication is working (or not working!) and how long should you take it. It’s up to you or a caregiver to monitor any changes and report them back to your family doctor. Some illnesses can be managed through lifestyle changes. Start a conversation with your health care professional on ways to manage symptoms without a prescription.
Sticking to one pharmacy is also a very simple way to reduce your risk of medication mismanagement. Ask for yearly review of your prescriptions with your family doctor, especially if you are taking several drugs and over-the-counter medications.
For more information, visit the Canadian Deprescribing Network (www.deprescribingnetwork.ca) and Safe Medication Use in Canada (www.safemedicationuse.ca). You can also order a medication record booklet by going to www.knowledgeisthebestmedicine.org.
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Wendy Johnstone is a Gerontologist and a consultant with Family Caregivers of British Columbia in Victoria, BC.