MISUSED, MEDICINE CAN BE HARMFUL

TWO-THIRDS of all doctor visits end with a prescription being written, yet
four out of 10 people use their medicines incorrectly. That's the finding
of the National Council on Patient Information and Education, which calls
medication misuse ``America's other drug problem.''

And those most at risk are older adults who take more prescription drugs
than any other patients.

The consequences of medication misuse in older adults can be deadly.
Government studies show almost 20 percent of all elderly hospitalizations
are due to adverse reactions to medicines; that is nearly six times the
number of hospitalizations for reactions for those younger than 65. Improper
use of prescription drugs causes more than 100,000 deaths each year in the
United States, and 51 percent of those deaths are people 65 and older.

Mary Inguanti, acting director of the pharmacy at St. Francis Hospital and
Medical Center in Hartford, Conn., said the average older adult takes seven
medications a day, including both prescriptions and over-the-counter
medicines.

All those pills, tablets and tonics can treat illnesses and help you live a
longer, healthier life, Inguanti said. But the mix could also result in some
serious problems.

``Drug reactions and interactions can range from physical side effects to
depression, memory loss and confusion,'' Inguanti said. ``In the elderly,
some of those symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses or diseases such
as Alzheimer's -- which can result in even more medications being
prescribed.''

Inguanti said better communication between patients and health-care
providers is the answer.

``Older adults may see different doctors for different things and have their
prescriptions filled at different pharmacies instead of the same one each
time,'' Inguanti said. ``They may be using over-the-counter remedies such as
laxatives, cold remedies or cough syrups without checking with their
doctors. It ends up that there's no comprehensive assessment of everything
they're taking and how it all interacts.''

Knowing more about your medications lowers the risk of an adverse reaction.
Provide information about your use of other medicines -- including
non-prescription drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements and herbal remedies.
Use the same pharmacy when filling your prescriptions.

Have a ``medicine checkup.'' Put all of your drugs -- prescription and
non-prescription -- into a bag and take them to your doctor or pharmacist.
They'll be able to identify problems such as duplicate or outdated
medicines, medicines that may no longer be necessary and medicines that
should not be taken together.

When it comes to medicines, more is not better; it's dangerous. Take the
full course of any drug your doctor prescribes. If you stop or change a
prescribed treatment for any reason, tell your doctor immediately.