When taking a new medication, make sure your doctor or pharmacist tells you:
The purpose of the drug and how to take it.
What to do if you miss a dose.
If and how the drug may interact with other medications, vitamins and supplements.
What common side effects, reactions or warning signs to watch for.
Know your drugs
For drug interactions, visit AARP's Drug Checker at http://blog.aarp.org/2011/09/26/drug-check.
For pill identification, visit http://healthtools.aarp.org/pill-identifier.
For a list of common medications that may not be safe for older adults, visit the Health in Aging website at healthinaging.org.
Get more information:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, hhs.gov.
Administration on Aging, aoa.gov, 202-619-0724.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, ahrq.gov.
Food and Drug Administration, fda.gov, 1-888-INFO-FDA.
National Institutes of Health, http://health.nih.gov/category/SeniorsHealth.
National Institute on Aging Information Center, niapublications.org.
1-800-222-2225, 1-800-222-4225 TTY.
National Library of Medicine, medlineplus.gov.
Chances are if you're 65 or older, you have at least five prescribed medications in your medicine chest. They may be necessary to treat a variety of conditions and prescribed by several doctors who don't know about each other. If you've forgotten to mention these drugs to each physician, you may be setting yourself up for problems.
According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, each year more than a third of the more than 40 percent of people older than 65 who take some type of medication will suffer a side effect or adverse drug event. There are multiple reasons for this: Older adults often have several chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes; may have age-related physiological changes that cause a negative reaction to certain drugs and may be taking an over the counter drug or herbal supplement along with their prescribed meds.
The chances of these non-prescriptions drugs interacting with prescribed medication increase with each added medication. In addition, older people often use several pharmacies, canceling the ability of their pharmacist to monitor drugs that may interact with each other.
As we age, reductions in liver and kidney function may change the way a drug is broken down and eliminated from the body. In some cases, the medication may stay in the body for a longer period of time, causing severe side effects. In addition, a decline in body weight and loss of fluid and fatty tissue can allow certain drugs to concentrate in the body.
For seniors who use herbal supplements, prescribed drugs may be rendered less effective or cause dangerous side effects. According to a study by the Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, certain drugs such as digoxin, phenobarbital and warfarin are highly sensitive and can easily become more or less effective when taken with a supplement.
The research showed that 69 of the 100 men and women surveyed used one or more of five popular supplements: multi or single vitamins, fish oil, coenzyme Q10 or a combination of glucosamine and condroitin. Each of these, though not problematic on their own, might react with certain prescribed medications. Yet, only a third were questioned by their doctors about use of supplements and most said they didn't consider supplements a drug.
Recently, the American Geriatrics Society released its 2012 AGS Beers Criteria, a study designed to help physicians better and more safely prescribe for older patients. The study is named for the late Mark Beers, a geriatrician and editor of "The Merck Manuals" and "The Merck Manual of Geriatrics." A panel of experts in geriatrics and pharmacology revise and expand their recommendations every three years, based on specific research. The recent report names 53 medications that are potentially problematic for seniors. The study is available by visiting americangeriatrics.org or dcri.duke.edu/ccge/curtis/beers.html.
In view of these findings, it's important to be proactive in advising your physician about any over-the-counter medication you're taking, such as sleep aids, cold and flu medication or antihistamines. Also mention any vitamins and supplements you're taking. For instance, St. John's wort, garlic tablets and even ibuprofen can interact with coumidin and other drug-thinning prescriptions.
It's wise to make a list of all drugs and supplements to carry with you each time you visit any or all of your doctors.
The American Geriatrics Society advises that you use only one pharmacy for filling prescriptions so that all of your information is gathered in one central place. Pharmacies have computer programs that send up red flags if a prescription has the potential to interact with another.
Also, if you notice that a medication you've been taking for a long time isn't working as it should, bring it to the attention of your doctor as soon as possible. It may be that the dosage or even the medication itself needs to be changed.
The bottom line is that seniors should give their medicine chest an annual or semi-annual checkup and share that information with their doctors.
Joyce Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Longmont. She can be reached at email@example.com.