Medications Review After 65
As you may know, numerous medications can interact with each other, but did you know that certain medications (one or a combination) can negatively affect our memory and the way we think? And some of these medications can be bought “over the counter.”
People tend to accept that their memory and reasoning will decline due to ageing and then assume they cannot prevent it from happening. However, this is not necessarily the case. There is medical proof that some medications are causing these problems that we attribute to ageing.
Suppose you are on several medications and are over age 65. If that is the case, you should ask your doctor to refer a Geriatrician (a specialist in adjusting care and medications for older adults). The Geriatrician will check your medications in great detail and make changes where necessary.
However, it can take a bit of time to get an appointment with a Geriatrician, so in the meantime, you can schedule a MedsCheck appointment with your local Pharmacist.
It is essential to use only one Pharmacist so that they can track everything for you.
Your Pharmacist will need to know about your non-prescription medications, prescription medications, as well as your herbs and vitamins. The MedsCheck appointment, at present, can be done virtually or over the phone.
The completed MedsCheck record is shared with your doctor or primary care provider so that pharmacist-recommended changes can be considered.
There is good news! There is a great awareness among professionals about the negative impact of certain medications on older adults. The “Institute for Safe Medication Practices” (ISMP) is running a campaign to raise awareness and educate the public about medications that older adults should not be taking.
Note: As we age visibly on the outside, we also age on the inside. For example, the kidneys are less able to excrete drugs into the urine, and the liver is less able to break down (metabolize) many drugs, so they are less readily removed from the body.
For further information on ageing and drugs, Click Here.
Kimana Soni, Retired Nurse
