How to Prevent Medicine Poisoning in Seniors?
ASK, WRITE & DO
Ask your doctor or pharmacist the following questions and write down the answers:
- What are the names of all your medications?
- What is the specific condition each medicine is treating?
- How often do you need to take your medicine?
- What time(s) do you need to take your medicine?
- How should you take your medicine?
- What are possible side effects you might experience?
- If you experience any side effects, what do you need to do?
- If you forget to take any of your medicines, what do you need to do?
Then, you have to do the following:
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist about your medical history, all the medicines you are taking including prescription, over-the-counter and herbal preparations, and about any allergies or sensitivity you may have to any medicines.
- Try to get all of your medicines from the same pharmacy so the pharmacist can check for drug interactions and can help answer questions about side effects.
- Take your medicines exactly as directed.
- Do not take someone else’s medicine without referral to your doctor
- Do not dispense your medicine to someone else.
- Store medicines in their original, labeled containers.
- Turn the lights on at night when taking medicine.
- Have your medicine reviewed by your doctor once a year.
- Get rid of any medicines that have expired or that you do not use. Avoid its use again
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