PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION USE AND MISUSE DISCUSSED DURING SENIOR-WISE

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(Casper, WY) -- Medications we take can do wonderful things but they must be used properly. That was the message from pharmacist Jennifer Steiner (pictured above) during her recent presentation at Senior-Wise, the information and discussion program offered at the Casper Senior Center.  "Medications are wonderful and can keep us alive," she said. But she cautioned that if used incorrectly they can cause hospitalization and even death. 

She explained that prescription drug misuse can be a problem as we age because when we get older we typically take more medications. "In fact," she noted, "after age 80 the typical number of medications people use is 13. Also, as we get older our bodies change -- medications will stay in our systems longer so the blood pressure medication someone might take for 20 years could actually be adversely affecting them because it's staying in their system longer and they have more of it built up." Frequently, she said, we see more doctors as we get older -- specialists and primary care physicians -- and so it's important to make sure all our providers know the medications we take.

Misuse of medications can be a serious problem and she explained that there are common reasons we may not take medications exactly as the doctor prescribes: we may forget, we may stop taking them because we feel better, we may take more than prescribed or less than prescribed -- people may think "I'm feeling good today so I won't take my heart medication," she said) -- we may give our medications to others, and we may even take medications prescribed for others. "There are problems with all these," she cautioned, "There could be legal problems, the person could build up an immunity to the medications; you just don't want to do any of these things." 

It's important that we all become part of the solution, Steiner encouraged, and they promote the STAMP program -- Safely Taking All Medications Properly. We all can do this by doing such things as using pill boxes, reading the label on the bottle, and asking questions of your pharmacist. "That last one is huge," she said. "Your pharmacist is paid to be there for you so don't be shy about asking questions." 

Finally, she recommended checking your medication list twice a year, taking your list of medications to all doctor's appointments, taking all medications exactly as directed, talking to your doctor before stopping or changing medications, and keeping your medications in a place that's dry and clean and out of the reach of children. 

Senior-Wise is held Tuesdays at 12:30pm at the Casper Senior Center.