Maintain A Medication List
Keep track of all the medications you are taking, both prescription and over-the-counter. This includes vitamins, herbs, supplements, and any other drugs, whether they are prescribed to you or not. A recent study showed that almost 50 percent of older adults didn’t know what medications they were taking. Having an up-to-date medication list will help make sure your health care provider knows all the medications you are taking and can help prevent dangerous drug interactions from occurring. A list can also help you keep track of when you last took medication and if you are running low on any prescriptions.
Be Mindful of Possible Drug Interactions and Side Effects
It’s important to know if the medications you are taking have any drug interactions. Tell your health care provider about all other prescription or over-the-counter medications, including dietary or herbal supplements, because they could interact with your current medication. To determine whether there is an interaction between two drugs, think about whether the drug can be taken together, such as at the same time or one right after another. Some common types of interactions include additive effects which means that when the two drugs are taken together they both work more powerfully than either does alone; potentiation occurs when one drug enhances the effect of another, and antagonism is when one drug inhibits the action of another.
Review Medications with your Doctor
It’s a good idea to have a yearly medication review with your health care provider. This is especially important as you get older and more medications are added to your list. During this meeting, your health care provider will ask about any adverse drug reactions you may be experiencing and whether there are any new medications that should be added to your current treatment plan. They will review your medication list and determine if any of the medications you are currently taking may cause adverse effects when taken together.
Conclusion
To avoid adverse drug effects, take all medications as prescribed and only take over-the-counter drugs with the specific approval of your personal health care provider. If you are taking any type of medication regularly – whether it’s a prescription drug or an over-the-counter remedy – be sure to check with your health care provider before stopping or starting any new medications. This will help ensure that you continue receiving the treatment that is right for you.