5 Tips on Use of Medications

1. Use of medications increases with age: 80% of older Americans who live independently receive 20 or more prescriptions per year Residents of nursing homes receive an average of 8-10 drugs per day
2. It is important to take medications as prescribed. Reasons for not following directions include:
   • Too many drugs
   • Error due to visual or mental impairment
   • Sharing drugs
   • Changing doctors
   • Use of over-the-counter drugs
   • Sparing expense
   • Drug side effects
   • Symptoms not improving
3. See your doctor regularly to check on medications and their effect (bring your medications with you for an office visit or to an emergency room): Drug effect changes with aging There is decreased absorption of drugs through the intestinal tract Decreased kidney function slows drug elimination Metabolism of drugs changes with age
4. The effect medications have on your body will change with aging. For example: Drug action may last longer Drugs may produce toxicity at a lower dose in mature adults than in younger adults
5. Remember that all changes you experience are not necessarily due to aging. For example, decrease in salivary flow is: Due to disease or medication not due to aging