The most recent statistics documenting medication errors in the United States are alarming. According to the Institute of Medicine Report, more 770,000 people are injured because of medication errors every year. Medication errors account for at least 7,000 deaths in the United States each year.
However, medication mistakes can be prevented. Yet in spite of this, the number of drug-related blunders continue to soar, making them a major health risk in the United States.
Increasingly large numbers of seniors accidentally get “mixed up” with their medications. They do not take them regularly or safely. The consequences of these inadvertent errors can be devastating. Emergency rooms are inundated with visits from seniors who present with medication-related symptoms. Journals of emergency medicine routinely carry articles on how to identify the elderly who are in crisis because of medication mishaps.
Unintentional mistakes can and do happen to people of all ages. They happen more frequently in the elderly who use more drug related products than any other segment of society. For seniors, the consequences can be more serious. The ability of seniors to “bounce back” is not as robust as it is for the young. Elderly patients frequently struggle with more than one medical condition at the same time, leaving little leeway for error. And side effects created by these errors can mimic other diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, complicating your physician’s ability to diagnose what is wrong.
Misuse of non-prescription medications can be as serious of prescription medication problems. Many non-prescription products become unsafe if not used as directed on the package. Combinations of different drug-related products can be treacherous. Seniors routinely ingest over-the-counter drugs in a carefree manner, treating them more like home remedies, rather than the potent drug they are. Many of the over-the-counter medications were once sold only on prescription.
The good news is most of these mistakes are completely preventable! Good planning and care can keep you safe, and help prevent medication mistakes. Use the same care to plan your medication use as you would to balance your checkbook, and do it monthly. Here are some guidelines to use to help you manage drug-related products.
Make a list of the prescriptions from your physicians and specialists. Include in this list all of your over-the-counter drugs, health food products, vitamins, supplements, alternative health products, physician’s samples, and home remedies. Don’t forget to add caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco use to the list. Throw away anything you no longer use. Ask one of your physicians to oversee your prescription use, and act as a gatekeeper to coordinate prescriptions written by other physicians and specialists.
Social workers can help you manage your medications and help you take them properly. This is especially true for senior citizens living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Your social worker and work with your pharmacist to help you avoid any medication errors.
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This article was made possible by Project FOCUS, a project supported by federal Grant SM54759 awarded to the City of El Paso Community & Human Development Department by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
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Dr. Maura Conry is a social worker, psychotherapist, and a pharmacist. Dr. Conry provides attentive one-on-one consultations with persons who must rely on medications to maintain optimum health. She helps patients take their medications regularly and cope with the experience of being ill. She was awarded the National Leadership in Education Award for her work with patients to prevent medication misadventures. |