Here’s How to Avoid Medication Mistakes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one-third of American adults in their 60s and 70s take five or more prescription medications daily. Juggling different medication schedules, dosages, and instructions is a complicated process; in fact, as many as half of all patients fail to take their prescription(s) correctly.

Improper medication management can lead to dangerous, and sometimes even fatal, health outcomes. The American Association of Retired Persons, or AARP, identified some of the top medication mistakes that older Americans are most likely to make and gave realistic, helpful solutions that you can use to simplify your at-home medication regimen.

11 of the Most Common Mistakes People Make with Medications

1. Skipping one or more doses of your medication(s). It may not seem like a big deal, but missing a dose of an important medication, like insulin, can cause significant health problems. Over 9 million Americans say they skip doses of their medication because of problems with cost. If the cost is prohibitive for you, the AARP recommends having a conversation with your pharmacist or prescribing physician to discuss alternative, lower-cost options. For others, staying on top of their medication schedule is the primary issue. A simple, inexpensive remedy for this is to utilize organizational options, like setting alerts or reminders on your phone, using a pill organizer, or calling on your friends or family for help.

2. Missing a pill and then doubling up the next time. While it might seem logical to double your medicine if you accidentally miss a dose, doing this can be quite dangerous. Examples of this include doubling up on beta blockers, which can lead to dangerously low blood pressure levels, or overdosing on blood thinners and causing bleeding. If you think or know you missed a dose, experts recommend checking with your pharmacist or doctor before taking a second. If you take the medication in question multiple times a day and are close to your next scheduled dose, they recommend skipping the missed one and taking the next at its correct time. Recommended hacks for solving this problem include using a pill holder that has compartments for each day, purchasing a “smart” pillbox with apps to deliver reminders, or asking your pharmacy to place your medications in blister packs or pouches labeled by day.

3. Waiting at the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions can feel like a hassle, but don’t rush out! According to one study, dispensing errors compromise every 2 out of 100 medications distributed by local pharmacies and drug stores. When you get your medications, take a moment to verify that they are the correct medications and the correct dosages. Even if there are people waiting behind you, it is okay to take a moment to ask your pharmacist about potential side effects, interactions, and anything else that may be relevant to your health plan.

4. Splitting or crushing pills that are not meant to be cut. Patients do this for a variety of reasons: someone has a hard time swallowing, taking a lower dosage, etc. Before doing this, you need to consult with your pharmacy or doctor. Why? Because some medications are not safe to split or pulverize. You can also check if it is safe to alter your medication by looking at the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “How supplied” section, which will tell you if the agency approves splitting the medication. One of the reasons that cutting or pulverizing medications can be risky is because it affects the rate at which it is released in the body. Extended-release tablets, for example, contain special coatings. When you destroy or alter the coating by cutting or pulverizing the pill, it stops the medication from being released at a controlled rate, making it immediately available to the body instead. Since some medications are safe to cut and others are not, be sure you talk to a professional first.

5. You try to split pills with a knife. If your medication is safe to cut or split, don’t try to cut them with a knife or crush them by hand. This is because it can lead to uneven doses, like taking 2/5 of your medication one day and 3/5 of it the next. Instead, buy a plastic pill cutter at your pharmacy — they are inexpensive (typically less than $10) and easy to use. Also, split your pills as you go and not all at one time. Split pills are more susceptible to environmental conditions, like heat, moisture, and humidity.6. You take too many pills. Taking five or more pills at once increases a person’s chances of a dangerous interaction or a medication problem. Polypharmacy, or taking more than five pills at once, is also linked to the risk of falls and dementia. In the last thirty years, the number of Americans 65 years and above who take five or more prescriptions has ballooned from 14% to 42% (CDC). Certain drugs are more likely than others to cause problems associated with long-term use or taking them when you are older, like various heartburn medications and sleep aids. Experts recommend having routine conversations with your geriatric pharmacist or healthcare provider to evaluate your medications and determine if it is time to stop or change them. You should be doing this at least once a year.

   7. Taking medication with the wrong food. Some meds don’t mix with certain foods, supplements, or beverages — and when you take them in combination with these things, it can lead to dangerous side effects. Here are a few examples of this: dairy products can interfere with the absorption of antibiotics, grapefruit juice can make certain drugs stay in the body, leading to liver and muscle damage and even kidney failure, and some fiber supplements can impact the effectiveness of metformin, a diabetes drug. Be sure to follow instructions and check if your medications are unsafe to take with certain foods, supplements, and/or drinks.

   8. Taking your drugs at the wrong time. This is an important one because some drugs need to be taken first thing in the morning and on an empty stomach to ensure optimal absorption. Others need to be taken at night since they can cause fatigue and/or dizziness. Make sure you read the package insert that comes with your medication and follow the instructions. If you lost or can’t find your medication’s insert, don’t worry — you can find them online at the National Library of Medicine’s DailyMed website at: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/.

   9. You keep your meds in the bathroom. The reality is storing medications in your bathroom or medicine cabinet – which seems to make sense, doesn’t it? — are actually some of the worst places to keep your pills. Direct sunlight, high temperatures, heat, and moisture can damage pills and capsules, making them lose effectiveness or go bad. Here are the recommendations: don’t leave medicines in a hot or freezing car, pack them in your carry-on if you are traveling by airplane since the checked baggage area is not temperature controlled, and store meds at home in places like a dresser drawer or kitchen cabinet away from windows, or in a storage box or on a shelf in a closet.

   10. You put your old meds in a bottle with your new ones. Avoid doing this, because there is useful information on pill bottles and other good reasons to keep pills in their original containers. For instance, the label contains important information, like who the manufacturer is, pill type, and dosage. If there is ever a recall or you experience an allergic reaction, you want to have this information on hand. Keeping pills in their own, original bottles is also helpful for keeping an eye on how you do with monthly meds: did you get to the end of the bottle? Or did you take less than last month? This is useful information to discuss with your doctor and can help you effectively manage your healthcare plan.

   11. Not having a “master” list of all your prescription medications. Having an up-to-date list can help avoid problems like dangerous interactions. Write down everything you take, and we mean everything: prescriptions, supplements, over-the-counter drugs, supplements, inhalers, eye drops, ear drops, pain patches, and hormone replacement and motion sickness therapy drugs. Share a copy of your list with your pharmacist and healthcare provider so that everyone is on the same page.

The AARP’s list may not be 100% exhaustive, but it certainly provides a wealth of useful and important information with older Americans who take multiple medications every day. Next time you’re at a doctor’s appointment or picking up a prescription, have a chat with your provider about what other steps you may want to take.

If you have a legal question or concern regarding a medication problem, someone at our firm can help. To speak with us directly, contact a representative online now.

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