Managing Medications Properly

The older a person gets, the more medications they are likely to take. The more medications they take increases their chance of complications. There are two main complications, drug interactions and drug overdose. It is vital that seniors manage their medications properly.

Drug interactions occur when you have 2 or more drugs that you take that cause more health problems. To avoid this problem, make a list of all the medications you take, over the counter, prescription, vitamins and supplements, and any medicated creams and take it to your doctor to review. This list should include the name of the drug, name of the prescribing doctor, what it is treating, dosage and how often to take. If possible, fill all of your prescriptions at the same pharmacy.The pharmacist can then see all of the drugs you are taking and inform you of any complications you may have. Keep your list in a handy place and make sure to update it with new medications as they come.

Older bodies tend to digest and absorb things slower. Because of this, doses of a drug can still be in your body when you take another dose. Many times seniors forget whether or not they took a medication, and accidentally take another dose. To avoid overdosing on medications, take your medicine at the same time every day. You can remember to do this by taking drugs at meal time or even setting a reminder timer. Use a daily pill box to help you remember which pills you have already taken.

Before you leave the pharmacy, make sure you can open the bottle, and that you know all about the use of the medication. Stay informed about your medications and make sure to inform your doctor of any side effects you experience.