Prescription Medication Safety

Anyone who watches TV these days cannot help but see several commercials every week for some medication or another. The medication may be for allergies, weight loss, or heartburn, but the scenario is much the same in each ad. It looks good, it is supposed to help relieve some disorder and you just need to ask your doctor for it to improve your life. Unfortunately the danger warnings or precautions about side effects are minimal to none. If they say anything it is so fast as to not be understood at all. Not knowing all the facts about medications can be deadly. In this fast paced world it is up to seniors to be proactive, ask the questions and help to protect themselves. Many physicians don't know much more about those medications than their patients. Physicians are required to keep on learning and must earn a number of continuing education credits every year. Unfortunately there is so much to learn with so little time. At a recent FDA advisory committee meeting cardiologist Robert Califf, director of Duke University's Clinical Research Center estimated that "less than 1% of physicians have seen a label in the last year." Physicians very often depend on the information they get from the drug company representatives when it comes to prescribing medications. The FDA list hundreds (perhaps thousands) of drugs that have been approved for sale. Very often the prescribing information that comes with the drugs is either not complete or in the case of many older drugs has not been updated.

What can seniors do to help protect themselves from medication related problems? Rather than be passive recipients of the health care they receive, they need to be active participants. Lets look at some of the ways that seniors can keep themselves safe and healthy when taking medications.

• Take all of your medications both prescription and over - the - counter with you to each and every doctor's appointment. Review these with your doctor, tell him about any problems you have encountered when taking them, no matter how trivial. This is especially important if you are getting a new prescription.
• Ask your doctor for samples and look at the package insert with him or before you leave the office. You may notice a precaution or warning that the doctor has overlooked.
• Review the prescription with your doctor. Make sure you understand exactly what the medication is, how often you need to take the drug and why you will be taking it.
• Use the same pharmacy for all prescriptions if at all possible. Most pharmacies these days are computerized and have a complete listing of all prescriptions they have filled for each patient. These databases can cross - reference drugs to look for any incompatibilities with drugs you are already on or adverse side effects.
• Read the drug label carefully before you leave the pharmacy. Make sure the information on the drug label matches the information you discussed with your doctor. Be sure to check the dosage and frequency also.
• If you have any questions about the drug, or side effects ask to talk with your pharmacist, he is the drug expert. Some states mandate that the pharmacist discuss all new prescriptions directly with the patient and supply written information also. It makes take more time at the counter, but could save lives.
• If poor vision is a problem, invest in a magnifying glass or other device to ensure you are able to see labels and precautions.
• If you notice any problem or side effect that you think may be related to the drug you are taking, notify your physician immediately and your pharmacist. The FDA has a mechanism for reporting problems with drugs. All suspected adverse reactions or interactions must be reported by this mechanism. The FDA is then responsible for investigating and updating guidelines.