When I was a freshman in high school, about the first week of school, my oldest older brother died in his sleep.
He wasn’t old – less than 30 – but he was battling multiple sclerosis. It was more than 50 years ago, and medical control of MS was in its infancy.
My brother was on medication to control his heart function and either forgot he had taken his medication and took another dose or forgot it altogether. Either way, his heart just stopped.
Last week, a Watonga resident mistakenly consumed a family member’s medication and wound up seriously ill in the hospital.
These are two of the complications of multiple medications for households, which can be further complicated by aging.
The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy lists the most common reasons patients, especially seniors, call poison control centers.
They include taking too much medication, not knowing what to do if a dose has been missed, concerns about drug interactions, interaction between new prescriptions and over the counter medications or supplements, and taking the wrong medicine by mistake.
“Medication mix-ups are the No. 1 reason older adults call the Poison Center,” said Kristie Edelen, managing director of the Oklahoma Poison Control Center. “Sometimes it’s an extra dose, a missed dose or a dangerous interaction. These may sound minor, but they can quickly turn into serious emergencies. We want seniors to know we’re here, 24/7, to answer questions and help prevent tragedies.”
There are steps to take that help eliminate some of the risks associated with multiple medications.
They include using a single pharmacy for all prescriptions, reading labels before each dose, never taking medicines in the dark and keeping medicines in the original containers.
That is a bit of a sticking point, though. Those pill caddies are as handy as a pocket on a shirt. It makes things simple to keep up with as far as whether someone has taken their medications morning, noon, or night. But it also makes it sketchy identifying medications inside the caddy.
The best line of defense, in my opinion, is to know your pharmacist and listen to him or her. Here in our town, they know you, know your medical conditions and prescriptions and do an excellent job of explaining what you need to do to stay safe and get better.
Don’t be afraid you are being difficult. Any pharmacist worth their Epsom salt is more than willing to go over anything that is confusing to a patient rather than them misusing a medication and risking serious complications. So just ask.
And about that taking meds in the dark – turn on the lights. You don’t want to mistake toothpaste for Preparation H!
Connie Burcham is the editor of the Watonga Republican celebrating the beginning of her seventh year in that position, minus a short hiatus in 2020-21.