Spotlight On

June

Safe Use of Medicine

Older Adults are making strides in staying healthier. Still, they tend to take more medicines than any other age group. Adults age 65 and older may have more than one disease or health problem at the same time, and it is common for them to take a number of different kinds of medications.

Click here for some tips on getting the most out of your medications.

Click here for questions you should ask your doctor about medicine safety.

The following information can also be found in the free booklet, Medicines and You, which gives facts about drugs and ways to lower medicine costs. To obtain a copy, click here, or contact National Institutes of Health publications at 1-800-677-1116 (English or Spanish).

Hints to get the best results from your medicines
Use this list to check off the tips you will try. Keep the list handy so you can read it each time you get a new medicine.

Keep a list

• I will write down the names of my prescription drugs and any vitamins, remedies, or OTC drugs I am taking.
• I will keep a list of the doctors who prescribed my medicine and the amount I take.
• I will add any new medicines to my list.

Check labels

I will check the label on my medicine before I start a new medicine.

I will make sure it has my name on it.

I will call the doctor or pharmacist if I have questions about how to take the medicine.

Take the medicine the right way—each day

I will take the medicine in the exact amount (never more or less) listed on the label.

I will take the medicine at the times the doctor told me to.

I will not stop taking my prescription drug unless my doctor says it is okay—even if I am feeling better.

Learn about side effects
I will talk to my doctor or pharmacist if I have questions about the written information that comes with my prescription.

I will call my doctor right away if I am having side effects. My doctor may be able to offer hints to lower the side effects or suggest another medicine.

Play it safe
I will not give friends or family members medicine meant for me.

I will not take medicine prescribed for others.

I will not drink any beer, wine, or hard liquor while I am taking a medicine unless my doctor says it is okay.

I will not take any medicine that is too old (expired date on the label).
Source: Medicines and You, National Institutes of Health publication 04-7348 November 2004

Seven questions you will want to ask about your medicines
Ask these questions before you leave your doctor’s office. Take this list with you each time you visit your doctor. Be sure to write your answers and keep them where you will see them.

Ask your doctor:

1. What is the name of the medicine, and why am I taking it?
2. What medical condition does this medicine treat?
3. How many times a day and how much medicine should I take? For how long?
4. How long will it take to work?
5. What should I do if I miss a dose?
6. Are there any side effects I should know about? When should I call you if I am having side effects?
7. Can I safely mix this medicine with the remedies, vitamins, and OTC drugs I am taking?
   

Source: Medicines and You, National Institutes of Health publication 04-7348 November 2004.