Safety week raises awareness about prescriptions

By: Y. Murad Erzinclioglu

Senior citizens are being encouraged to re-check their medications.

The Canadian Safety Council’s Senior Safety Awareness week runs Nov. 6 to 12. The time is used to raise awareness about life-saving prescription drugs that are potentially dangerous if used incorrectly. The council reports that nearly two thirds of citizens aged 65 and over are taking five or more medications, one in five are taking 10 or more and one in 20 are taking 15 or more. The more medications a patient uses increases the risk of an undesired reaction.

Catherine Bonnette is a pharmacist at the Royal Windsor Pharmacy downtown. Bonnette said using a combination of drugs can cause adverse effects and that it’s wise to take precautions.

“The first thing I recommend is sticking to one doctor and sticking to one pharmacy,” Bonnette said. “By going to one pharmacy all of the medications are always being dispensed together so the pharmacist can always run interaction checks.”

Timothy Gregorian has been a pharmacist for more than 20 years. He manages the University of Windsor Pharmacy as well as serving as continuing education co-ordinator for the Ontario College of Pharmacists Windsor Region. He said it’s important for seniors to take advantage of government services that inform them about their prescriptions. The Meds Check program sends pharmacists into patients’ homes for a consultation about the drugs they are taking.

“It creates a complete picture of all medications,” said Gregorian. “The government pays pharmacies to do that. It’s an invaluable service for the patients and anybody who has three or more chronic medications can have that service done for free.”

Community Care Access Centre Nurse, Natalie Westfall, has been a nurse for nine years. She said throughout her career she has seen many adverse drug interactions, but it’s not just seniors who should be informing themselves about prescription drugs.

“When I worked at the Teen Health Centre we’d often see interactions, not necessarily adverse effects, but a weakening of drug effect,” Westfall said. “Some girls will get a prescription for strep throat and their pharmacist may not be aware they are on birth control. Certain drugs can lower the effects of birth control and result in a higher risk of unplanned pregnancy.”

The safety council encourages seniors to get more information by visiting www.knowledgeisthebestmedicine.org and www.safemedicationuse.ca.
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Scrip Tips:

Using a combination of drugs can cause adverse effects and that it’s wise to take pre-cautions. Here are some quick tips on Prescription drug use.

1.Always keep an updated list of all your medications, their dosages and why they are being used.
2.The pharmacist is your friend. Always using the same pharmacist ensures they can serve you better.
3.Don’t get into bad habits and routines. They could be deadly. Always be sure to check labels every time a medicine is used.