Medication Safety Quiz

Not only do we usually take more medications as we age and develop some medical problems, but as we age, body changes can affect the way the medications are absorbed and used, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Changes in the digestive tract affect how quickly a medication is absorbed. If your body weight has changed, that can affect how much medication you need and how long it remains in the body. The circulatory system can slow down, which affects how quickly medications reach the liver and kidneys, and then are excreted from the body.

Be sure to include OTC medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, eye drops and topical products such as creams and ointments. This can help you avoid possibly dangerous interactions between medications or with supplements.

If it's hard for you to tell them apart, your health care provider can possibly prescribe them in pill forms that are more distinctive. If you have trouble remembering to take your medications, use a calendar or pillbox. But remember, to be as safe as you can, keep all your pills in their original containers. This means all prescriptions and OTC pills.

Refill maintenance prescriptions in advance to avoid running out. This is especially important if you take daily medications for high blood pressure, a heart condition or diabetes. Ask your doctor to write your maintenance medicine prescriptions with refills, so you don’t have to go back to the doctor’s office every time you need more of a prescription.

Your diet can influence the metabolism of medications. For example, eating a very low-fat or high-calcium diet can alter the effectiveness of medications. (otherwise it sounds as though low fat /high ca diet is the only type of diet that can influence medications) Be sure to tell your health care provider how much caffeine (coffee, tea and cola) that you consume, and whether you smoke. These substances also can affect how well your medications work.

Bring your pills in their original prescription or OTC bottles to each appointment that you have with your doctors. Ask your health care provider to check on how well a medication that you regularly take is working. Do you still need to take it? Are there any lifestyle changes you can make that might allow you to take less of the medicine or even stop taking it at all? If your doctor wants you to keep taking certain medicines, do not stop without your doctor’s OK. A yearly review is also good for your medicine cabinet. Look through it and discard any medications that have expired.

Potentially dangerous drug interactions are more likely to be detected if one pharmacist fills all your prescriptions.

Never take someone else's medication. Taking someone else's medication can mask your own symptoms and make your condition more difficult to diagnose, according to the National Council on Patient Information and Education.

Turn on the light and make sure you're taking the right medicine. If you need to take more than one type of medication at the same time, don't keep them by your bed, to avoid confusion. If you must keep them there, and you don't have small children or pets in your home, put the pills you need in a little saucer or cup on your bedside table, according to the AAFP.