An article in the Weekly Herald (November 16, 2011) by Mina Williams discussed the increased problem of drug use, particularly pain killers, in the United States. It was a real eye opener, particular as seniors are often prime offenders. All of our older and wiser adages seem to evaporate when we start looking for drugstore health care. The author emphasizes that anyone can suffer from this type of disorder.
I like it when prime time television programming uses a storyline to promote health care issues. We all love a good medical thriller told from the viewpoint of a hot shot doctor. The story is riveting and it is brilliant way to impart a little information to an unsuspecting public. At times AARP magazine will critique popular shows in light of whether or not they advantage of the opportunity to teach, under the guise of entertainment. A Gifted Man, a few weeks ago, was about a young woman who nearly died because she didn’t tell her doctor that she was taking an over-the-counter medication for depression. This is a hot topic and something that should not be overlooked.
Seniors are no exception. Baby Boomers grew up with the idea that there was drug for everything. I read that our generation uses more prescription and over-the-counter medications than any other age group. Older adults tend to become dependent on over-the-counter and prescription drugs. We self medicate at an alarming rate because we see drugs as a “quick fix” for just about everything. Prescription drug advertising on television and in main stream magazines feed on this belief; as they encourage people to beg for every new medication that hits the market.
When taken appropriately, pain killers, sedatives and anti-depressants can play an important role in improving the quality of life. However, if pills serve to mask symptoms rather than curing them, a vicious cycle may ensue. Your dreams of independent living could very well hinge on the number of medications you consume. Continued drug use into older age has been known to compound problems with memory and cognition. Medical problems are often associated with prescription drug abuse and they have been well documented.
Home wellness visits to seniors in independent living facilities include frank discussions about medication management. We would often see pills scattered all over the rooms, and were often invited to look at drawers full of pill bottles accumulated over the years. Scary picture isn’t it? Drug abuse is often about pain killers but seniors have more to worry about that that. Slower metabolism, interactions between various prescriptions, interactions with over-the-counter medications, and with alcohol consumption all figure into the picture. Mismanaging medications might include:
- Taking a larger doze than prescribed
- Sharing medication, more than half of people who misuse prescription pain killers say that they get them from family member or friends
- Failing to Take Medications because they are too expensive or they don’t like the side effects
- Taking smaller than ordered doses to make the pills last longer
- Consuming out of date medications
- Not taking medications on time or taking them too often
- Being obsessed with the need for pain and sleeping medications
A drug should never be used as a “quick fix”; every pill that you put into your mouth should be scrutinized by you primary care physician. Keep your drug intake to a minimum, discard old prescriptions, discuss all medications with your physician and reap the benefits of good health.
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