Do you or someone you know have a history of bone disease and easily prone to fractured bones? Medication bottles with safety caps are designed to protect children from accidental ingestion, but, on occasion, can contribute to patient harm. An elderly patient with multiple myeloma (a type of bone cancer) suffered a spiral fracture of the right arm while trying to remove the child-resistant cap on her medication bottle. The act of pushing down and twisting broke the weakened bone and caused the fracture.
Read Safety ArticleDrug abuse affects people from all walks of life. But when you hear about drug abuse, you tend to think of teens or young adults, not older adults. Unfortunately, drug abuse in older adults is also a serious problem. It occurs most often when the elderly misuse or abuse their own prescription medicines or when they intentionally take medicines prescribed for other people.
Read Safety ArticleAs people age, they often have more health problems. Many of these problems can be treated with medicines. Diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, and the inability to sleep may require long-term medicines to manage these conditions. When numerous different medicines (e.g., 5 or more) are taken at the same time, it is called polypharmacy.
Read Safety ArticleReports show that seniors are at an increased risk for poisoning. Some experts estimate that half of all seniors mismanage at least one of their medications and that seniors are twice as likely as other patients to present to the emergency room as a result of drug safety issues, such as, confusion over multiple medications, skipped doses, or variances from recommended doses.
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