Healthy Aging

E-mail this page to a friend

Medication Safety

Home > Healthy Aging > Drugs and Alternative Medicine > Medication Safety

• Additional Resources

Because older adults often take more medicines than younger people, they need to be extra careful. Taking multiple medicines puts you at risk for drug interactions. Drug interactions can happen when different drugs react badly to each other. For instance, they might make each other stronger or weaker. Or mixing might cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms could include a rash, upset stomach, or sleepiness. Interactions can become serious, so report them to your doctor right away.

Aging can also cause changes in the way your body reacts to a drug. You might digest a drug more slowly so that it takes longer to leave your body. This might cause you to get too much medicine. This causes a drug overdose.

Make sure you tell your doctor about all the supplements and drugs — both prescription and over-the-counter — you are taking. Include all:

• Prescription drugs – These are the ones your doctor prescribes for you.
• Over-the-counter medications – These are drugs like aspirin, allergy medicine, and anti-acids. You can buy them at the drug story or grocery without a prescription.
• Supplements – These include vitamins, fish oil, and herbal products like St. John's wort or Echinacea.

If your doctor knows all the medicines you are taking, she or he can help prevent any harmful interactions. Your doctor may also find that you're taking something you don't need.

Filling all of your prescriptions at the same pharmacy can be helpful. Most pharmacies have computer systems that help the pharmacist spot possible drug interactions.

When using any kind of drug, it's important to read the drug label for instructions. Not following the instructions can hurt your health. Read the label each time you use a drug, just in case there have been changes to it since the last time you used it. If you read the label and still have questions, call your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist for help.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Age Page: Medicines: Use Them Safely — This publication describes the difference between prescription drugs and over the counter (OTC) drugs and also offers tips to avoid risks and get the best results from your medication at home, at the doctor's office and at the pharmacy.

   http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/medicines.htm

2.   Drug Interactions: What You Should Know — This fact sheet explains how drugs interact with other drugs. It gives a brief overview of which drugs may cause a reaction with each other and discusses the importance of talking with your doctor about any medications you are taking.

   http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/ucm163354.htm

3.   Get Connected! Linking Older Adults with Medication, Alcohol and Mental Health Resources — This kit was developed to help services providers for older adults identify, educate and screen the elderly for potential emotional and substance use problems. Components of the kit include: fact sheets, a video, consumer brochures, training guides and curricula and a services resource guide.

   http://www.samhsa.gov/Aging/age_10.aspx

4.   Medication and Older Adults — This article discusses over medicating, medicine and special needs, living active lives and cost cutting. It also provides information on questions to ask doctors before taking new medications.

   http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1997/697_old.html

5.   Medicines and You: A Guide for Older Americans — This booklet provides a guide for older Americans on how to manage taking their prescription medications.

   http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/ucm163959.htm

6.   Safe Use of Medicines — This booklet discusses practical tips to make sure you are taking all your medicines the right way. This booklet also provides examples of other older adults practicing medicine safety.

   http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/SafeUseMeds/default.htm

7.   Take time to Care: Buying Drugs Online (Internet) — This fact sheet discusses purchasing medications on the Internet including the advantages, disadvantages and safety tips to consider.

   http://www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/onlinedrugs.html

8.   Taking Medicines — This publication provides information on medicines and your body. It provides information on how to take medicines safely, testing medicines, and the medicines in the future that will improve one's health.

   http://nihseniorhealth.gov/takingmedicines/toc.html

9.   The New Over-the-Counter Medicine Label: Take a Look — This fact sheet is a guide for new over-the-counter medicine labels approved by the FDA. It explains what is on the label, what it means, and where you can find it.

   http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/BioterrorismandDrugPreparedness/ucm133411.htm...

Organizations

1.   Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), SAMHSA, OPHS, HHS
2.   Food and Drug Administration, HHS
3.   National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
4.   Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HHS
5. American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated March 5, 2009.