Senior Knowledge: How To Use Prescription Medications Correctly

Now might be the perfect time to address this subject because most seniors have just completed an annual review of their medications to determine if they needed to change insurance carriers for Medicare Part D prescription coverage. This is a good time to review those prescriptions with a physician to make sure you understand why they have been prescribed and any special rules associated with them. I checked with a friend who is a pharmacist to see if there were any particular areas that could cause a potential problem and was surprised at some of what I learned. It all starts with making sure your doctor or doctors know what other herbs, vitamins, supplements or over-the-counter medications you are taking. The combination of any of these items with certain prescription drugs can cause some unpleasant surprises. When given a new prescription, make sure your doctor is aware of all other items you are taking. In reverse, if you are already taking a prescribed medication and want to start taking a new herb, vitamin, supplement or OTC medication, check with your doctor before doing so. If a new drug is prescribed, make sure you learn everything you can about it. Ask for literature about the drug so you can read about it and have something to refer back to. You want to know what the drug is meant to do, when you should take it, how you should take it (with or without food), how long you will have to take it and what its potential side effects are. Also, ask what you should do if you forget to take a dose. One common slip-up is the failure to check the prescription before leaving the pharmacy or receiving it in the mail. Make sure you have received the correct medicine, dosage and number of pills. If this is a new prescription, review the literature that came with it. Become aware of the size, shape and color of the pill and any markings that appear on it.
Whenever possible, have all your prescriptions filled through the same pharmacy. By sticking to one pharmacy, the pharmacist knows all the drugs that you are taking. This allows him or her to be on the lookout for potential interactions. After taking your prescriptions home, there are a few things you can do to prevent mismanagement on your part. First, consider where to store your medications. A bathroom medicine chest is probably a bad choice because bathrooms tend to have moist environments. Moisture can cause medications to deteriorate, which could result in drugs becoming less effective or even toxic. It is far better to keep them in a moisture-free environment and in a place where children cannot gain access. If you have a prescription that you take occasionally, check the expiration date before using it. If the prescription is out-of-date, it might be ineffective or toxic. Checking the date on OTC medications is just as important as it is for prescribed medications. Last, but certainly not least, lending or borrowing a prescribed medication is always a no-no. Medications are prescribed on an individual basis, and no two people are alike. Never take the chance of taking a drug that is not prescribed for you.
These are just a few of the more common slip-ups that can occur. To play it safe, become an educated consumer and always ask before acting.

Betty Berry
Senior Concerns Advocate