If you or your parents are 65 or older, you’re probably no stranger to prescription medication. In fact, nearly 90% of older adults report taking prescription medication. Those numbers don’t even include over the counter medications, such as pain relievers, fever reducers, or antacids. Medication can often be lifesaving. But, it’s crucial to consider medication management to ensure they’re being used safely and effectively.
What is medication management?
Medication management, in its simplest terms, is ensuring all medications are taken properly. You can think about managing medications for your parents or yourself in two primary categories: storage and use.
Proper storage
Part of medication management is making sure everything is being stored properly. For example, make sure medications that require refrigeration are stored in the fridge. Similarly, make sure needles are being stored and disposed of correctly if any injectable medications are used.
Proper storage also means storing medications in properly labelled bottles. Always store pills in their original container unless using a pill sorter. This can help decrease confusion over what a medication may be or when and how to take it.
Proper use
Using medication exactly as prescribed is crucial, but can easily become confusing. This applies to the instructions for over the counter medications, as well. For starters, make sure you or your parents are taking the right dose. If it says to take two, make sure two are always taken. It’s also important to make sure medications are taken on the right schedule. Different medications may specify taking them in the morning, in the evening, before a certain meal, as needed, or in time intervals such as every four hours. It’s crucial to follow those instructions to a t to avoid over- or under- medicating.
An easily overlooked instruction for many medications is food. Some prescription and over the counter medications specify that they should be taken with food or on an empty stomach. Some medications may also suggest avoiding things that could interact with the medication. Common foods that medications may recommend avoiding include alcohol, caffeine, and grapefruit.
Polypharmacy
When we’re talking about any medication, it’s important to consider polypharmacy. Especially when we’re talking about medication management, we need to understand what polypharmacy is and what some of its pitfalls can be.
What is polypharmacy?
Polypharmacy is when one person takes five or more prescription medications in a day. You may think that sounds like a lot, but they add up quickly. Especially as we age. Your parent might be taking one for blood pressure, one for cholesterol, one for arthritis, one for thyroid, and one for heart disease. It’s that easy to suddenly find that polypharmacy applies to you or your parents. In fact, some studies show that more than 50% of adults 65 and older are taking five or more daily medications. One common cause of polypharmacy? Seeing multiple doctors and specialists who prescribe different things.
Should I be concerned about polypharmacy?
Now that you know what polypharmacy is, you may be wondering if it’s something you should be concerned about. Like many important questions in life, the answer is yes and no. When the doctor prescribes a medication, they’ve decided that the benefits of taking the medication outweigh any possible risks. Even when multiple medications are involved. Sometimes, circumstances make polypharmacy unavoidable. Especially if your parent has chronic health conditions that need to be managed with medication.
There are, however, some downsides to polypharmacy. The more medication one person is on, the more likely there could be interactions and side effects. It isn’t uncommon to even end up on medications to counteract the side effects of another. The more medication one person is on, the harder it can also be to ensure they’re always being taken properly. If you have questions about your parents’ medications or polypharmacy, be sure to talk to their doctor and pharmacist with them.
Don’t Forget over the counter medication (especially supplements)
If someone asks you what medication you take, the first things you think of are likely medications prescribed by your doctor. But, that’s only half of the equation for medication management. Often, over the counter medications are equally as important. Especially when used with other medications where interactions could occur. Yet, we don’t always remember to tell medical professionals about these products.
If you’re concerned about medication management for your parents, make sure you talk to them about what over the counter products they’re using. Then, check to see if there are any possible interactions. For example, if your parent takes a medication that can cause drowsiness and recommends not taking it with other medications than can cause drowsiness, see if your parent is using any over the counter products that could be cause for concern. It’s also important to remind your parent to tell their doctors and pharmacist everything they are taking to avoid any unnecessary and unwanted interactions and side effects.
Supplements
Many older adults take vitamins and supplements. These can be even easier to overlook when listing medications than other over the counter products. However, there are many vitamins and supplements that are known to cause interactions with prescription medications, such as St. John’s Wort. Make sure your parents are discussing their vitamins with their doctors, as well.
Checking Medications
Even if you aren’t sure your parents need help with medication management, consider helping them check their medications. It’s a great opportunity to talk to your parents about their medications, their health, and the future.
When you check your parents’ medications, you can see if they are taking them as prescribed. Too many or too few pills remaining, relative to the fill date, could be a sign of a problem. You can also make sure they are storing medications properly.
Expirations
One of the biggest things to do when checking your parents’ medications is to check the expiration dates. Make sure you don’t forget to check over the counter products, too. If something is expired, dispose of it properly. Often, the best way to dispose of medication is at a drug-take back location near you.
How Often to Check Medications
While medication management is important, there aren’t many guidelines on how often to check medications. However, it is generally a good idea to check them on an annual basis. To make it easier to remember, you may want to check them on National Check Your Meds Day each year.
Master List for Medication Management
As you go through your parents’ medications with them, encourage them to make a list of everything they take and use. This can be a helpful tool they can take with them to future appointments to ensure every doctor and pharmacist knows the prescription and over the counter medications and supplements they are taking. This is a great step to cut down on accidental medication interactions. Plus, once the list is made, they only need to update it when their medications change.
Medication Management in Senior Living
Poor medication management can be dangerous. Especially if it comes to forgetting to take something important or not properly storing critical medications like insulin. That’s why medication management is an important part of senior living. It’s an essential activity of daily living (ADL), widely found in assisted living, memory care, short-term rehabilitation, and long-term skilled nursing care settings.
Medication Management at The Ohio Masonic Communities
At The Ohio Masonic Communities, medication management is extremely important. It can even be a common reason why many older adults and their families begin to look at senior living communities in the first place. Our assisted living neighborhoods, memory support neighborhoods, and Healthcare Centers provide ongoing medication management for residents. You can breathe easier knowing that we have your parents’ medication under control.
The Ohio Masonic Communities has three senior living communities across the state of Ohio – Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio, Springfield Masonic Community in Springfield, Ohio, and Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina, Ohio. If you are interested in learning more give us a call at 1 (877) 881-1623 or contact us here.