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As people grow older, sometimes the list of medications they require grows as well. That's why it's important for seniors to not only be familiar with the medications they are taking, but to write down and share that information with a few trusted family members or friends.
Recently St. John's Hospital in Springfield hosted a free seminar entitled "Understanding Your Role in Medication Management" that provided information about organizing daily medication to prevent medication errors. Seminar attendees heard from Dr. Craig Backs, chief medical officer for St. John's; Dr. Stephen Jennison from Prairie Cardiovascular; and Claire Call, a registered nurse at Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's.
Patients should be pro-active in their own health care, Backs said. "My key role as a primary care physician was making sure that we got the medicines right," he said, adding that each doctor should know what any other doctor has prescribed. "The more information that you have about your medicine, where it came from and where we can go for further information is very helpful."
Seniors who are entering the hospital either through the emergency room or as a scheduled patient should accurately relate a full list of medications to the medical professionals there, Backs said. This list should include prescription medications as well as any over-the-counter medicines or herbal remedies.
In an emergency - and in the absence of a prepared list - that might mean bringing in a container of the medicines. "You should also have the name and phone number of the pharmacy," Backs said.
"As the list of medicines gets longer and longer, the importance of communication between physicians, health care workers, patients, and family members just gets more and more important," Jennison said. "If you can't communicate with your private care physician or your specialist, then it is a good time to move on and find one that you feel like you can communicate with.
"If you have concerns about your medication, then share it with your physician. If you can't afford it, then let your health care worker know," Jennison said. "Don't be shy. If you feel overwhelmed by the number of medications you are taking, tell your physician about that."
It is also important to keep the lines of communication open with your pharmacist, Jennison said. "To get the most out of your pharmacist, you have to communicate with your pharmacist. I would strongly suggest that you adopt one pharmacy and you get eyeball contact with one pharmacist and say, ‘You are my pharmacist.' Let them know that you are bringing business to their shop and you expect in return ... that they are going to look after you. ... We all have to participate in responsibility of illness."
Even patients who are scheduled for a routine office visit should be prepared and ask for help, if needed. Backs said some patients are better off bringing a relative or friend to the physician's office with them. "Having another set of eyes and ears present when the doctor or nurse is giving instructions ... is helpful. Bring someone who cares with you when you see the doctor," he said.
Of course, medicines can't be effective if they aren't taken as directed. That's why it is important to follow your physician's directions, read the labels and ask questions of the doctor or pharmacist if you have any. "In reality, most of the medications prescribed by primary care physicians, internists and specialists (such as medications for heart disease and hypertension) are not cures, they are controls. They control chronic illness and they need to be continued," Backs said.
Many seniors rely on a "pill minder" to help them keep their medications straight. There are several types of daily medication dispensers and some are meant to be easier to open than others. Some people even prefer to have separate containers labeled, for example, for morning and evening use.
No matter what, it's important to keep an up-to-date list in your wallet at all times and also in plain sight at home. "In Illinois, emergency medical personnel will look for a list of medications on the refrigerator," said Call.
"Always remind your physician to give you an extra copy of your meds list," Jennison said. "You should also have someone - a family member or best friend - who has a copy of that list on their refrigerator or in the top drawer, so that we here in the hospital can call for that list."
Sometimes medications have side effects or don't work for the patient, Call said. "The most expensive medicine is also known as the least cost effective if it doesn't help you, if it's not working for you," she said. "Patients need to communicate that to their physicians, if they are having side effects - for example headaches, problems with the medications or if your blood pressure is still very high after you've been on the medication for a month.
"If you don't take it at all, that's not going to help you. So, not taking it is a problem or not taking it as intended, the way the physician has prescribed it for you. We're in this together and we're here to help you," she said.
"We want you to bring us your accurate medicine lists. We're going to help you find ways to afford your medicine," Call concluded. "We're asking you to keep taking your medication as long as your physician asks you to take it and not stop it ahead of time or share it with other people."
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