Medication Management
Monday, March 1, 2010 at 1:17PM 
More than 2.3 million drug-related errors adversely affect older Americans each year. These managment of medication errors often result in rush trips to the emergency room, expensive hospitalization, and the potential decline of a senior’s independence. What can we do to prevent this?
Ask your doctor and pharmacist: What food, drinks, other medicines, or activities should you avoid while taking the medicine? What do you do if you miss a dose? How often will you or your doctor have to check your medicine's effects?
Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you are already taking: prescription, herbal, or over the counter. Tell your doctor if you have any illnesses or problems for which another doctor or health professional is treating you. Your doctor needs to know what is important to you about your medicines: including but not limited to time of day taken, pill vs. liquid, and cost. Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to medications or if you have had any troubling side effects from medicines or if one of your current medications is causing side effects.
If you have any questions or problems with taking the medicine exactly as it was prescribed by your doctor, contact your physician or pharmacist.
Taking your medication in the dose and at the times prescribed is often very important to the action of the medication. Many seniors have complex schedules for medications and have difficulty remembering to take the right medications at the right times, opening pill bottles due to arthritis, reading pill bottles due to vision problems, etc.
There are many wonderful medication management systems and products on the market now that can help us. These include medication reminders, timed dispensers, reminder alarms & watches, magnifiers, needle guides, large print labels etc.
If you or a loved one are having trouble managing your medications please let your SPOS Occupational or Speech Therapist know. We are here to help you to continue with an independent, safe, and successful life.
Sources: American Society of Consultant Pharmacists