First steps for managing medications

According to the National Council on Patient Information and Education, fifty percent of the American population over 60 takes more than then three medications a day. As a patient, it is your responsibility and right to schedule time with someone in your medical team to go over the prescriptions that you or your loved one is taking. Medications are often prescribed by more than one doctor or specialist and they may not be aware of exactly what type or how many prescriptions are being taken.

Questions to ask your medical provider

• Should I take this medication with or without food?
• How often should I take it?
• What should I do if I miss a dose?
• What symptom is this prescription intended to treat?
• What are the side effects?
• Does this drug interact with any of the other prescriptions that I take?
• Does my age or health make this drug unsafe for me?
• Can I substitute a non-drug alternative or a generic drug?

Some prescriptions or the mixture of two or more may cause side effects such as agitation, irritability, memory loss or loss of coordination. Report any and all changes in mood or movement to your health professional.

Schedule a brown-bag visit with your medical provider and gather all prescriptions and any over the counter medications, herbal or vitamin supplements to the meeting. Bring any research you have done and prescriptions you have not filled yet. Be honest and tell the doctor why you have not had them filled and why you haven’t taken them.

Never stop taking a prescription without some guidance from a health professional. It is not always safe to quit cold turkey. The medical provider may lower the dose, change when you take the prescription or provide a different medication all together.

For professionals there are promotion and presentation materials:

http://www.n4a.org/programs/best-buy-drugs/?fa=plan-a-presentation

? Promotional flyer

? Presentation slides

? Trainer survey evaluation

? Videos

? Handouts include information about pill splitting, FDA facts and myths about prescription drugs, generic drugs and a medication review form.

? Brown-Bag visit labels