Safe Use of Medicines for Older Adults - National Institute on ...

Taking Medicines Safely · Follow instructions. Read all medicine labels. · Use the right amount. Don't take a larger dose of a medicine thinking it will help you ... Skiptomaincontent Breadcrumb Home HealthInformation SafeUseofMedicinesforOlderAdults SafeUseofMedicinesforOlderAdults Onthispage: Jerry'sStory Jerrylookedathisfivepillbottles.Itwasgettinghardtokeeptrackofhisgrowinglistofmedicines.Heneededawaytorememberwhateachmedicinewasfor,howmuchtotake,andwhen. Medicineshelpuslivelongerandhealthier.But,takingthemthewrongwayormixingcertaindrugscanbedangerous.Youneedtobecarefultokeeptrackofyourmedicinesandusethemsafely. WhatAreMedicines?WhatAreDrugs? Medicines,oftenreferredtoasdrugs,canbe: Prescriptions.Whatyoucangetonlywithadoctor’sorder(forexample,pillstoloweryourcholesteroloranasthmainhaler) Over-the-counterpills,liquids,orcreams.Whatyoubuywithoutaprescription(forexample,pillsforheadachesorchewtabletsforheartburn) Vitamins,eyedrops,ordietarysupplements. MakesureyourdoctorknowsaboutALLthemedicinesyoutake.Thisincludesthoseprescribedbyotherdoctors,aswellasvitamins,supplements,herbalremedies,andover-the-counterdrugsyouuseeverynowandthen. WhatYouNeedtoKnowAboutYourMedicines Talkwithyourdoctor,nurse,orotherhealthcareproviderbeforestartinganewmedicine.Gooveryourallergiesandanyproblemsyouhavehadwithothermedicines,suchasrashes,troublebreathing,indigestion,dizziness,ormoodchanges. Youwillalsowanttofindoutwhetheryou’llneedtochangeorstoptakinganyofyourotherprescriptionsorover-the-counterdrugswhileusingthisnewmedicine.Mixingsomedrugscancauseunpleasantandsometimesseriousproblems.Forinstance,itisdangeroustouseaspirinwhentakingablood-thinningmedicine. Becauseofthis,itisimportanttokeepalistofallprescriptiondrugsandover-the-counterremediesyoutake.PrintandfillouttheTrackingYourMedications:Worksheettohelpyoukeeptrackofyourmedications. Whenstartinganewmedication,makesuretowritedownthenameofthedrugandwhyit’sbeingprescribedforyou.Also,makenoteofanyspecialinstructionsforhowtotakethemedicine. QuestionstoAskYourDoctorAboutaNewMedicine WhatisthenameofthemedicineandwhyamItakingit? Whatmedicalconditiondoesthismedicinetreat? HowmanytimesadayshouldItakeit?Atwhattime(s)?Ifthebottlesaystake“4timesaday,”doesthatmean4timesin24hoursor4timesduringthedaytime? HowmuchmedicineshouldItake? ShouldItakethemedicinewithfoodornot?IsthereanythingIshouldnoteatordrinkwhentakingthismedicine? Howlongwillittakethismedicinetowork? WillthismedicinecauseproblemsifIamtakingothermedicines? Isitsafeformetodrivewhiletakingthismedication? Whatdoes“asneeded”mean? WhenshouldIstoptakingthemedicine? IfIforgettotakemymedicine,whatshouldIdo? WhatsideeffectscanIexpect?WhatshouldIdoifIhaveaproblem? WillIneedarefill?HowdoIarrangethat? Eachtimeyouvisityourdoctor,tellhimorheraboutnewmedicinesyou'retaking,andbesuretoaskifyoustillneedtobeonallyourmedications. HowCanaPharmacistHelp? Apharmacistcananswermanyofyourquestionsaboutprescriptionsandover-the-counterdrugs.Trytohaveallyourprescriptionsfilledatthesamepharmacysoyourrecordsareinoneplace.Thiswillhelpalertthepharmacistifanewdrugmightcauseaproblemwithsomethingelseyouaretaking.Ifyou’renotabletousejustonepharmacy,showthepharmacistateachpharmacyyourlistofmedicinesandover-the-counterdrugswhenyoudropoffyourprescription. Whenyouhaveaprescriptionfilled: Tellthepharmacistifyouhavetroubleswallowingpills.Theremaybeliquidmedicineavailable.Donotchew,break,orcrushtabletswithoutfirstfindingoutifthedrugwillstillwork. Makesureyoucanreadandunderstandthenameofthemedicineaswellasthedirectionsonthecontainerandonthecolor-codedwarningstickersonthebottle.Ifthelabelishardtoread,askyourpharmacisttouselargertype. Checkthatyoucanopenthecontainer.Ifnot,askthepharmacisttoputyourmedicinesinbottlesthatareeasiertoopen. Askaboutspecialinstructionsonwheretostoreamedicine.Forexample,shoulditbekeptintherefrigeratororinadryplace? Checkthelabelonyourmedicinebeforeleavingthepharmacy.Itshouldhaveyournameonitandthedirectionsgivenbyyourdoctor.Ifitdoesn’t,don’ttakeit,andtalkwiththepharmacist. Checkthelabeltoensureyouarenotallergictoanyoftheingredients.Makesureyourdoctorandpharmacisthaveanup-to-datelistofyourallergiessotheydon’tgiveyouamedicinethatcontainssomethingyouareallergicto. LearnhowtoreadaprescriptionlabelinthefreebookletSafeUseofMedicines:TakeYourMedicinestheRightWay—EachDay! Talkwithyourdoctororpharmacistifyouhavequestionsaboutthewritteninformationthatcomeswithyourprescription. MedicationsandTraveling Beforeyoutravel,askyourdoctororpharmacisthowtoadjustyourmedicinescheduletoaccountforchangesintimezones,routine,anddiet.Bringthephonenumbersofyourdoctorsandpharmacistswithyou.Carryalistofallthemedicationsyoutakewithyou.Whenflying,carryyourmedicineswithyou;donotpacktheminyourcheckedluggage.Takeenoughmedicationwithyouincaseyouneedtostaylonger.Whentraveling,alwayskeepmedicinesoutofheatanddirectsunlight. SideEffects Unwantedorunexpectedsymptomsorfeelingsthatoccurwhenyoutakemedicinearecalledsideeffects.Sideeffectscanberelativelyminor,suchasaheadacheoradrymouth.Theycanalsobelife-threatening,suchasseverebleedingorirreversibledamagetotheliverorkidneys.Medications'sideeffectsalsocanaffectyourdriving. Ifyouexperiencesideeffects,writethemdownsoyoucanreportthemtoyourdoctoraccurately.Callyourdoctorrightawayifyouhaveanyproblemswithyourmedicinesorifyouareworriedthatthemedicinemightbedoingmoreharmthangood.Heorshemaybeabletochangeyourmedicationtoanotherthatwillworkjustaswell. GenericorBrandName–What'stheDifference? Mostgenericandbrand-namemedicinesactthesamewayinthebody.Theycontainthesameactiveingredients—thepartofthemedicinethatmakesitwork.Agenericdrugshouldbejustassafeasabrand-namedrug.Theyshouldbothbeofequalstrengthandquality.Youtakeagenericdrugthesamewayasabrand-namedrug. KeepingTrackofYourMedicines Herearesometipstohelpyoukeeptrackofallyourmedicines: Makealist.Writedownallmedicinesyoutake,includingover-the-counterdrugsanddietarysupplements.Thelistshouldincludethenameofeachmedicine,amountyoutake,andtime(s)youtakeit.Ifit’saprescription,alsonotethedoctorwhoprescribeditandreasonitwasprescribed.Showthelisttoallofyourhealthcareproviders,includingphysicaltherapistsanddentists.Keeponecopyinasafeplaceathomeandoneinyourwalletorpocketbook. Createafile.Saveallthewritteninformationthatcomeswithyourmedicinesandkeepitsomewhereyoucaneasilyrefertoit. Checkexpirationdatesonbottles.Ifamedicineispastitsexpirationdate,youmaybeabletodisposeofitatyourpharmacy,or,checkwithyourdoctorabouthowtosafelydiscardit.Yourdoctorcanalsotellyouifyouwillneedarefill. Keepmedicinesoutofreachofyoungchildren.Avoidtakingmedicinesinfrontofthem,astheymighttrytocopyyou.Also,ifyourmedicinesarekeptinbottleswithoutchildsafetycapsbecausetheyarehardtoopen,beextracarefulaboutwhereyoustoremedicines. TakingMedicinesSafely Herearesometipstohelpyoutakeyourmedicinessafely: Followinstructions.Readallmedicinelabels.Makesuretotakeyourmedicinestherightway.Forexample,don’tuseanover-the-countercoughandcoldsyrupifyouonlyhavearunnynoseandnocough. Usetherightamount.Don’ttakealargerdoseofamedicinethinkingitwillhelpyoumore.Itcanbeverydangerous,evendeadly.And,don’tskiportakehalfdosesofaprescriptiondrugtosavemoney.(Talkwithyourdoctororpharmacistifyoucan’taffordthemedicine.Theremaybehelp.ReadSavingMoneyonMedicinesformoreinformation.) Takemedicineontime.Somepeopleusemealsorbedtimeasreminderstotaketheirmedicine.Otherpeopleusecharts,calendars,orweeklypillboxes.Youcanalsosettimersandwritereminderstotakeyourmedication. Turnonalight.Don’ttakemedicineinthedark;otherwise,youmightmakeamistake. Reportproblems.Callyourdoctorrightawayifyouhaveanytroublewithyourprescriptionorover-the-countermedicine,orifyouareworriedthatitmightbedoingmoreharmthangood.Theremaybesomethingelseyoucantake. Tellyourdoctoraboutalcohol,tobacco,anddruguse.Alcohol,tobacco,andotherdrugscanaffecthowwellyourmedicineswork.Behonestwithyourdoctorabouthowmuchyouuse. Checkbeforestopping.Takeprescriptionmedicineuntilit’sfinishedoruntilyourdoctorsaysit’sallrighttostop.Notethatsomemedicinesaresupposedtobetakenonly“asneeded.” Don’tshare.Donottakemedicinesprescribedforanotherpersonorgiveyourstosomeoneelse. CanIGetAddictedtoPainMedicine? Anyonecanbecomeaddictedtoprescriptionpainmedicines.Nevertakemoremedicinethanthedoctorprescribes.ReadmoreaboutopioidsandprescriptionpainmedicinesinPain:YouCanGetHelp. ReadaboutthistopicinSpanish.Leasobreestetemaenespañol. ForMoreInformationAboutUsingMedicinesSafely U.S.FoodandDrugAdministration CenterforFoodSafetyandAppliedNutrition 888-723-3366 https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/office-foods-and-veterinary-medicine/center-food-safety-and-applied-nutrition-cfsan CentersforMedicare&MedicaidServices 800-633-4227 877-486-2048(TTY) https://www.cms.gov www.medicare.gov EldercareLocator 800-677-1116 [email protected] https://eldercare.acl.gov NationalCenterforComplementaryandIntegrative Health 888-644-6226 866-464-3615(TTY) [email protected] www.nccih.nih.gov ThiscontentisprovidedbytheNIHNationalInstituteonAging(NIA).NIAscientistsandotherexpertsreviewthiscontenttoensureitisaccurateanduptodate. 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