- Heart and Blood Pressure Medication
- Diabetes Medications
- Tranquilizers and Sedatives
- Pain Relievers
- Iron Pills, including Vitamins
- Cough and Cold Medicines
In fact, 1/3 of the 177,504 emergency room visits for adverse drug events by people over 65 years were from reactions to Coumadin, insulin and digoxin (heart medication).
Medication Safety Tips For Seniors:
- If you are taking two or more medications, be sure to check with your doctor and/or pharmacist to avoid unexpected drug interactions. Also discuss any herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications you may be taking
- Avoid dosage errors — use dosage containers indicating day of the week and/or time of the day; don't leave it to memory
- Know what foods may interact with your medications
- Grapefruit juice, for example, is known to interact with certain medications
- Request that medicine labels be printed in large type
- Check with your pharmacist before splitting pills, even if they are scored. Some pills may lose their long-acting effect when split
- Bring all medications with you to each doctor visit
- Avoid taking medicines too close together