Medications and Older Adults : Part 2

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 2 of 2)

Learn about your drugs. Find out as much as you can by asking questions and reading the package inserts. Both your doctor and pharmacist should alert you to possible interactions between drugs, how to take any drug properly, and whether there's a less expensive generic drug available.

Have your doctor review your drugs. If you take a number of drugs, take them all with you on a doctor's visit.

Ask the doctor, "When can I stop taking this drug?" and, "How do we know this drug is still working?"

Follow directions. Read the label every time you take the medication to prevent mistakes, and be sure you understand the timing, dose prescribed, and how long to take it. Ask a pharmacist what foods to take with each drug. Some drugs are better absorbed with certain foods, and some drugs shouldn't be taken with certain foods.

Don't forget to take your medicines. Use a memory aid to help you — a calendar, pill box, or your own system. Whatever works for you is best.

Medicine and Special Needs

Arthritis, poor eyesight, and memory lapses can make it difficult for some older people to take their medications correctly. Studies have shown that between 40 percent and 75 percent of older people don't take their medications at the right time or in the right amount.

A number of strategies can make taking medication easier. Patients with arthritis can ask the pharmacist for an oversized, easy-to-open bottle. For easier reading, ask for large-type labels. If those are not available, use a magnifying glass and read the label under bright light.

Invent a system to remember medication. Even younger people have trouble remembering several medications two or three times a day, with and without food. Devise a plan that fits your daily schedule. Some people use meals or bedtime as cues for remembering drugs. Others use charts, calendars, and special weekly pill boxes, and techniques such as turning medicine bottles upside down, to help them know at a glance if they have taken the medication.

Drug-taking routines should take into account whether the medication works best on an empty or full stomach and whether the doses are spaced properly. To simplify drug-taking, always ask for the easiest dosing schedule that's available for the drug you've been prescribed — just once or twice a day, for example.

Older people with serious memory impairments require assistance from family members or professionals. Adult day care, supervised living facilities, and home health nurses can provide assistance with drugs.

Know Your Medications

Not all older people are in danger of drug interactions and adverse effects. Among healthy older people, medications may have the same physical effects as they do in younger adults. It is primarily when disease interferes that the problems begin.

To guard against potential problems with drugs, however, older people must be knowledgeable about what they take and how it makes them feel.

"We need to have educated patients to tell us how the drugs are working," says Feinberg.

Cutting Costs

For a new prescription, don't buy a whole bottle but ask for just a few pills. You may have side effects from the medication and have to switch. If you buy just a few, you won't be stuck with a costly bottle of medicine you can't take.

For ongoing conditions, buy medications in the largest quantities you can.

Call around for the lowest price. Pharmacy prices can vary greatly. If you find a drug cheaper elsewhere, ask your regular pharmacist if he or she can match the price.

Other ways to make your prescription dollars go further include:

• Ask for a senior citizen discount.
• Ask for a generic equivalent. These non-brand substitutes are tested to be sure they are chemically identical to the original and they deliver the same amount of the drug to the body in the same amount of time.
• Get drug samples free. Pharmaceutical companies often give samples of drugs to physicians.
• Buy store-brand or discount brand over-the-counter products. Ask the pharmacist for recommendations.
• Find out about drug discount or assistance programs or ask your local chapter of national disease-related organizations (American Diabetes Association, etc.). Financial assistance may also be provided through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services if you qualify.
• Try mail order from a reputable pharmacy. Mail-order pharmacies can provide bulk medications at discount prices. Use this service only for long-term drug therapy because it takes a few weeks for delivery. Buying drugs online is another option that can save money.

What to Ask the Doctor

Before you leave your doctor's office with a new prescription, make sure you fully understand how to take the drug correctly. Your pharmacist can also provide valuable information about how to take your medicines and how to cope with side effects. Ask the following questions:

• What is the name of this drug, and what is it designed to do? Is this a generic or a name-brand product?
• What is the dosing schedule and how do I take it?
• What should I do if I forget a dose?
• What side effects should I expect? What should I do if I experience these side effects?
• How long will I be on this drug?
• How should I store this drug?
• Should I take this on an empty stomach or with food? Is it safe to drink alcohol with this drug?

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.