With the growing population of aging citizens in North America, many of us will be familiar with the fact that the elderly often have to take multiple prescription medications a day. It can be considerably daunting trying to remember when to take your medication, what the dosage is, and sometimes you even forget to take it at all. Imagine having to take multiple kinds of medications throughout the day and at different times – that would be hard for anyone to follow, especially someone in their older years.
There are other concerns that the elderly face when managing multiple prescriptions a day. The following are common problems that the elderly and their loved ones may find themselves concerned with.
Potential Side-Effects
It’s fairly typical to experience side effects because of prescription drugs. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that as you age your tolerance for certain drugs and their side effects may change. For instance, an older person may be more sensitive to side effects that make you dizzy or light headed, and on the other hand, they may not get the same amount of relief from pain medication that they used to.
Someone who is elderly and experiencing dizziness can be more prone to falling and injury, or even possibly experience confusion. These kinds of side effects can be dangerous for an elderly person, and significantly reduce their overall quality of life.
The ability to do dosage adjustments is one of the reasons why compounding pharmacies are becoming increasingly popular. Click here to learn what a compounding pharmacy can do to create custom medications in the perfect dosage amount for you or a loved one.
The Burden and Consequences of Missing a Drug
As already mentioned, the elderly usually have to take multiple different prescription medications in a day and run a risk of missing one. The consequence of a missed drug could be dangerous, especially if it is relied on to maintain things like blood pressure, blood-sugar levels, and so forth.
Many pharmacies now conveniently offer blister packaging where they can organize a supply of multiple medications into “blisters” (pre-formed plastic packaging) for consumption at various times of day. This type of medication management lessens the burden that the elderly face when trying to keep track of the medications they take on a daily basis.
Difficulty Administering Drugs
Another problem that not only effects the elderly is that sometimes the way that a drug is administered can be difficult for a patient to ingest. For instance, an elderly person may have problems swallowing a pill, may experience adverse reactions to consuming a drug, or even might not like the flavour of a drug.
Pharmaceutical compounding is a popular solution in these cases as well. Your local compounding pharmacy can customize prescription drugs by creating specialized dosages, altering their flavours, or even changing the way the drug is administered.
Take Necessary Precautions
You can work with your local pharmacist to come up with practical solutions that will assist an elderly person in managing their prescription drugs. With the growing advances in the pharmaceutical field, you’re sure to find solutions that work for both you and your loved ones.
