As our time on Earth gets longer, so does the list of medications we take. Managing several medications at once is a natural part of getting older, but that doesn't mean it's simple. Every new prescription comes with its own dosage, schedule, side effects, and other things you need to think about to maintain a healthy regimen.
Even so, managing your meds is very doable with the right support and information, and there's no better source of education than a licensed pharmacist. (Your doctor can be a reliable source as well, but pharmacists specialize in medication and will likely have insights that other medical professionals don't.) Here are some good questions to ask your pharmacist when you're wondering how to make sure your meds are safe and effective.
Chances are your doctor will tell you how a medication is supposed to function, and how it fits into your long-term care journey, when they prescribe it to you. Still, a pharmacist can tell you more about the purpose of your new medication and other conditions it's used to treat.
How often should you take this medication, and how much of it do you take each time? Two 300 mg pills per day? One injection every three weeks? Taking too much medication can be harmful, but taking too little can be ineffective, so let your pharmacist tell you what dosage is exactly right.
Some medications are more appropriate to take at specific times of the day — for example, if they make you drowsy, it might be best to take them just before bed. If you'll need to take the same medication more than once per day, you should also find out when to start the first dose so you can space the rest of them out properly.
Ask your pharmacist if the time of day matters for your prescription, and if so, whether it should be taken in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night. They can also tell you whether multiple doses can be taken together or should be separated throughout the day.
The duration of each prescribed medication varies widely. You might stop taking a medication after a few weeks if the problem goes away, or you might take one for years if you have a chronic condition. Your pharmacist will let you know what to expect.
Some medications should be taken in conjunction with a meal if they would cause discomfort on an empty stomach. Digesting meds along with food can also make it easier for your body to absorb them and produce the desired effect. Ask your pharmacist if you should eat — and what you should eat — with each prescription.
Despite our best efforts to maintain a strict medication schedule, we might forget to take a dose on time now and then, especially if we're on several meds at once. If you realize that you forgot a dose, call your pharmacist to get their advice — they can tell you whether to catch up now or just wait for your next regular dosage, what impact skipping a dose might have, and more.
Although meds are here to make our lives better, they may come with adverse effects, ranging from relatively mild conditions like dizziness and drowsiness to more serious concerns like forgetfulness and nausea. Ask your pharmacist about the potential side effects of each medication so you can prepare for any changes to your condition and stay safe through the duration.
If you're taking multiple drugs at the same time, they can sometimes react to each other in ways that have an unintended impact on your health. When you start a new medication, it's very important that you tell your pharmacist what other meds you're already on (including over-the-counter medications and supplements) so you can adjust your regimen if necessary — some drug interactions are severely unsafe.
Medications can also interact with foods and drinks (and supplements, as we said above). Ask your pharmacist if you need to change your diet or abstain from eating or drinking anything particular while you're on a medication.
Different medications have different storage requirements — for example, pills are usually OK to leave in a cabinet, but injections should most likely be refrigerated. Sometimes a person's condition requires special storage solutions, too — if someone has Alzheimer's disease, for instance, it might be wise to put their meds in a lockbox so they don't accidentally take more doses off schedule. Your pharmacist can recommend best practices for storing each prescription.
Taking some meds isn't as easy as just swallowing a pill. You might need a pill organizer to help you stay on top of your dosage schedule, a pill splitter or crusher to change the size and shape of a drug, alcohol swabs to clean an injection site, a sharps container to dispose of needles, and so on. Ask your pharmacist what supplies you might need to manage each medication.
Switching from a brand-name drug to a generic alternative, if one exists, can make your medication regimen more affordable. That said, do not take a generic medication without talking to your pharmacist first — a generic may not have exactly the same effect, ingredients, or dosage as the brand-name version you were prescribed, and it may require a separate prescription altogether. You should also consult your insurance carrier, because a drug and its generic may not have the same level of coverage.
Generics aren't the only way to save money on meds. If you think you need financial help to access medication that's crucial to your long-term care, ask your doctor or pharmacist about medication assistance programs.
Vaccinations are essential to our long-term health, even when you're older. Some of the vaccines you received as a child might need a booster decades later to stay effective, and some might be worth taking every year (a flu shot, for example). Share your vaccination history with your pharmacist and see if they recommend getting more vaccines in the near future.
We hope our list of questions will help you start a productive dialogue with your pharmacist, but there's plenty more where that came from. If you want to know anything at all about your medication regimen, a pharmacist will be happy to answer any questions you have.
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