Things You Need to Know about Medication Management
Medication Management – As individuals age, it is not uncommon for medical healthcare providers to prescribe complex medication to handle existing health ailments and prevent new ones from occurring. While these medications may be beneficial, the challenge of recalling which medications to take every day may be overwhelming for seniors.
In addition to making medication schedules challenging, multidrug (consuming multiple medications to manage diverse health conditions) presents unique drug interaction hazards that can pose health threats to seniors and older adults.
Unfortunately, the risk of adverse drug interactions increases whenever physicians prescribe their patients multiple medications at different times and for various conditions.
According to the American Geriatrics Society, yearly, more than thirty percent of older individuals in the United States have an adverse reaction to their prescription medications. Most commonly, missing doses of medication or accidentally doubling amounts of drugs cause these reactions.
To prevent these problems and limit the possibility of adverse interactions between prescription medications, seniors must establish and keep a good medication management plan to manage each prescription drug effectively.
Next, are some ideas to help you develop a medication management plan that may work for you:
HINTS FOR REMEMBERING TO TAKE YOUR MEDICATION
- Using a pillbox tagged with each day of the week is a way to keep track of the medication you need daily. For example, if you take different doses in the morning and evening, you may designate a box for each time.
To ensure the correct filling of the receptacles, have a chart that documents your daily medication schedule, and refer carefully to this chart when you fill the boxes weekly.
- Having a busy schedule may make it tough to remember to administer your medication at the correct time. Therefore, it may be helpful to tie your medicines into your daily routine. For example, by choosing a daily activity routine and using it as a reminder to administer your medication, you establish a new procedure that goes a long way toward remembering your pills.
- Giving yourself reminders is one of the simplest ways to ensure you take your medicine at the right time. Also, keeping a calendar in a convenient place and marking the days off each time you take your medication may help you remind yourself you already took your pill.
- Using an alarm as you use it to wake up may be a way to remind you to take your medication. You can set the alarm on your watch, phone, or alarm clock to remind you when it is the moment to take your medicine.
- In case you need more help remembering to take your medications, consider using a medication reminder with an alarm, which may remind you to administer your pills or go to a doctor’s appointment.
- A home care aide may be a solution for seniors who have difficulty remembering to administer their medicine. In addition to helping you remember your pills, a home care aide may also help you get to doctor’s appointments and handle some daily chores.
HINTS FOR PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM HARMFUL DRUG INTERACTIONS
- It is wise to keep a detailed list of every medication you take, including herbal supplements, over-the-counter medicines, and prescription drugs.
In addition to helping you keep track of your medication, you can also take this list to doctor visits to ensure you are getting the proper medication and that your risk of drug interactions remains low.
- Although physicians do their best to provide the correct medication, sometimes prescription drugs have unexpected reactions. Because of this reason, it is wise to stay in touch with your physician.
Do not hesitate to call if you feel you are experiencing an adverse reaction to a medication or are concerned that your medicines are not interacting well. Your physician may be able to prescribe a different drug or look for alternative therapy options.
- Ask your physician if there is a possibility to minimize the number of your daily medications. For example, your physician may replace a pill with a non-drug treatment or limit the amount of medicine daily to lower the risk of adverse reactions.
- It is wise to choose one pharmacy and stick to it to use it for all your prescription requirements, preventing negative drug interactions and making filling your prescription a one-time event. Although pharmacists do not replace your physician, they may be an essential resource for explaining medication-related questions and concerns.
You are not alone. At Neurocare Centers of America, you are an essential member of our team. Contact us. We are here for you.