Medications and you…what you don’t know can kill you

I had reported in an earlier article, it is that familiar time of year when we all must re-evaluate our health insurance/Medicare coverage plans and upcoming available options for 2012.

We talked about pharmacy benefits, deductibles and copays, but what really gets lost in the shuffle is a very important topic that most, if not all, people don’t even think about, even at insurance re-evaluation time – medications.

Really now, how many of us take one or more medications each day, prescription or otherwise, and never put a great deal of thought into just what it is we are taking and what, if any, potential hazards these drugs might cause or what interactions they may create among each other?

It may startle you to know that:

• One in five Americans (just under 22%) have reported that they, or a family member have experienced a medical error of some kind.

• Among seniors with at least three chronic health problems, 73 percent take five or more medications (multiple doses, times).

The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a study and their results indicated that among senior citizens with three or more chronic health issues, almost 75 percent of them take five or more medications, and combine that with multiple doses of each drug in one day, a person could take as many as 20-plus pills daily – and in different combinations.

Even more startling are the following statistics:

• “The average American is 10 times more likely to be hospitalized from an adverse drug reaction than from a motor vehicle accident

• 10.7 percent of hospital admissions in older adults are associated with adverse drug reactions.

• Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) cause over 100,000 deaths per year in the U.S., making ADRs the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

• Older adults (age 65 or over) are two-and-one-half times more likely to visit an emergency room due to an adverse drug event than younger individuals.

Here’s a pop quiz for you to test your medication IQ:

1. Do you know how diuretics work?

2. Do you know why cholesterol drugs are taken at night?

3. Do you know what foods to avoid when you are on blood-thinners (anti-coagulants)?

4. Do you know why some medications are taken with food while others are taken on an empty stomach?

5. Do you know the difference between a side effect of a drug, an adverse effect, or an allergy?

6. What does “drug interaction” mean?

Many, if not most, people will not know the answer to one or more of these questions...not surprising, but still disconcerting.

Here is an interesting sidebar about the Baby Boomers, when it comes to taking medications versus “natural” alternatives:

Many “Boomers” don’t like the “conventional” – drugs, surgery, therapy. More and more are researching and turning to alternative means of improving their health, such as the use of “natural” or “herbal” supplements for treating different conditions.

Caution must be exercised when contemplating using “naturals” either instead of or in addition to prescription medications. Herbal or natural products can often act like, or “mimic” Rx medications. Naturals are not FDA approved. We don’t have real data on potential for interactions/side effects when natural or herbal supplements are mixed with Rx drugs and frequently, the quality of ingredients can’t be controlled or verified.

Remember, natural doesn’t always mean safe.

One of the take-home messages I hope to leave you with is that: Any way you look at it, drugs (medications), prescription or otherwise, are potentially deadly chemicals. Be proactive about your health and don’t become a medication error statistic.

Compass Care Management offers a “Safe-at- Home” Solutions Program, which includes home medication safety and management. Call 419-469-8909 for more information or to schedule a “Medications and You…” presentation. The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb. (The cartoon image of a light bulb over your head when a great thought occurs isn’t too far off the mark. Your brain generates as much energy as a small light bulb even when you’re sleeping). Ahh…that explains it.

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Chisholm’s expertise in nursing, orthopedics and surgery spans more than 30 years. For more information on orthopedic-related topics, visit www.bone-and-joint-pain.com. Submit questions or comments to Ken at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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