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In line with the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are over 33 million people in the U.S. who look after an relative or friend. Caregivers need to be aware that drug problems can happen and might be serious, but usually are preventable.

The situation stems largely from the multiple drugs seniors are prescribed and the complex network of pharmacists and doctors caring for them. According to Medco Health Solutions, Inc., prescription medications are taken nine by the average senior per year. One in four seniors sees four or more different doctors and uses three or more different pharmacies.

To greatly help reduce errors:

a Make and have a medication list including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, any vitamins or herbs and present it to the pharmacist and doctor.

a Understand how medicines must certanly be applied, possible side effects and how to identify if they occur. Changes such as for example poor eyesight, reading trouble or decreased energy may suggest an adverse reaction to a treatment. synthroid online discussion

a Ask any specialist the patient sees to deliver a full medical report, including drugs prescribed, to the patient's primary care physician.

Seniors now also need to decide concerning the new Medicare Part D prescription drug program. It provides much-needed relief for all seniors with little if any drug coverage but may possibly require research to find out which program is better.

Consider the following:

a Medication Costs: Seniors currently on medications should determine if the plan covers their medications and at what price. They must also think about the cost of generics because they could be substantially lower. In addition, under some programs the deductible is waived for generic drugs.

an use of Pharmacies: Each program has its pharmacy system. If many months of the entire year are used in another state, a national strategy could be best. A mail-order prescription service is included by some plans.

a Patient Safety: An agenda that carries a drug utilization evaluation (DUR) program that identifies potential problems offers an essential back-up.