TakeAsDirected - For Older Adults - Washington St Dept of Health

For Older Adults

As people get older, they may take more medicines. Older adults (65 years or older) are twice as likely to come to emergency departments due to problems they have with medicines (over 177,000 emergency visits each year).

Three main causes of pain medicine overdoses among older adults are:

1. Memory You may not remember when you take your medicine. You could end up taking another pill sooner than you should.

Precaution: Use a pill box that divides out your medicines by day and dosage. Since most pillboxes are not child-proof, be sure to keep them out of reach of children.

2. Drug-Interactions People are often prescribed many medicines, or take prescription medicines with over-the-counter medicines.

Precaution: Make your healthcare provider aware of all the medicines you are taking.

3. Sharing Prescription Medicine: Because everyone is different, sharing prescription pain medicines can cause different reactions in different people.

Precaution: Never take pain medicine that is not prescribed to you. Do not share medicines with friends or family members, even if you are no longer using them. Sharing prescription medicine with others is a crime.

For more information:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, For Adults and Older Adult Adverse Drug Events: http://www.cdc.gov/MedicationSafety/Adult_AdverseDrugEvents.html

Health Resources and Services Administration, Care Givers Brochure: http://www.ask.hrsa.gov/detail_materials.cfm?ProdID=4305&ReferringID=4194

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: As You Age: https://store.samhsa.gov/product/PHD1082

Resources

Data Summary

For Pain Patients

For Health Care Providers

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Information (links)