Almost 50 percent of seniors are taking one or more medications that are needed and/or medically necessary (Maher et al., 2014). According to cdc.gov, the prescription drug usage for adults between 40 to 79 in the US and Canada is frequent “Nearly 7 in 10 adults aged 40-79 used at least 1 prescription drug in the past 30 days in the United States (69.0%) and Canada (65.5%) and around 1 in 5 used at least 5 prescription drugs (22.4% in the United States and 18.8% in Canada). While it is important for seniors to take multiple medications because of varied chronic conditions and other acute medical conditions, it is particularly appropriate to consider the effects of polypharmacy which can lead to drug interactions and adverse medication effects. There is not one definite definition of polypharmacy, but it refers to taking more medications than are clinically required. It is essential to recognize and understand the appropriateness of the medications not the number of medications. This is assessed by ensuring that there are no adverse effects from the medication and that the benefits outweigh the risks (Hirst et al., 2015).

Seniors would receive an increased number and source of medications. Thus, it is important to closely monitor the medications from the time of initial administration until the completion or termination of the treatment. There are factors that could possibly interfere with the monitoring of medications in seniors, such as patient consultations with different healthcare providers and failure of communication to each other about the patient’s care/changes in patient’s health condition. This is similar to changes in a patient’s mental-emotional status that can affect medication consumption patterns (Hirst et al., 2015).

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Nurses are in a key position to provide health teachings and patient education in ways to ensure safe and effective ways to take their medications. Some helpful tips for clients/patients: Always carry a current or up-to-date list of all medications that you are currently taking. This includes herbs and over-the-counter (OTC) medications and show the list to your healthcare provider. There are some questions that you can ask your healthcare provider:

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• Ask the reason why you are being prescribed this specific medication or the reason why you are taking it

• How will I know if this medication is doing what it is intended to do?

• How soon will I receive the positive benefits of this medication?

• Is there any harm that will happen if I will not take this medication?

• How often do I need to take the medication?

• Until when will I take this medication? Or how long will I have to take this medication?

• What will I do if I missed a dose?

• When will be my next visit? What are some things I should watch for or be alert for while taking this medication? Can it be determined if the medication is working or how will I know if the medication is effective?

• On your next visit, you can ask if you still need to continue the medication and if the dosage can be reduced?

References

Hales, M. C., Servais, J., Martin, B. C., & Kohen, D. (2019). Prescription on drug use among adults aged 40-79 in the United States and Canada. National Center for Health Statistics. CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hirst, P. S., Lane, M. A., & Miller, A. C. (2015). Miller’s nursing for wellness in older adults. Wolters Kluwer.

Maher, R. L., Hanlon, J., & Hajjar, E. R. (2014). Clinical consequences of polypharmacy in elderly. Expert Opinion in Drug Safety, 13(1), 57-65, doi:10.1517/14740338.2013.82766

Links for community resources

Community Resources for Seniors in Hamilton www.seniorshamilton.ca

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov

Friendly Resources for Seniors www.coahamilton.ca