Medication Risk Assessment

1. Medication Risk Assessment Are you at risk for medication related problems ?

2. Senior Facts People over 65 use more medications than any other age group Seniors are at risk for medication related problems

3. Medications • Medications are a safe and effective way to treat or prevent health problems • Medications can cause side effects • More than half of all adverse drug events are potentially preventable

4. Medication Related Problems • major cause of confusion, depression, falls, disability, and loss of independence. • among the top five causes of death for people age 65 and older.

5. Medication Related Problems • Medication-related problems are blamed for more than 32,000 hip fractures • 28% of hospitalizations among seniors are due to adverse drug reactions • Medications-related problems are associated with car accidents among older Americans each year.

6. How to avoid Medication Related Problems • Talk to your pharmacist about your medications • Know the name of your medication • Know what your medication is used for and how to take it

7. How to Avoid Medication Related Problems • Know what to do if you miss a dose • Know what types of side effects you can expect • Know what to do if you experience any side effects

8. How to Avoid Medication Related Problems • Know what foods or other medications should be avoided when you take the medication • Know how to store the medication

9. Helping Seniors Avoid Medication Related Problems • Medication risk Assessment • Outreach to seniors to help identify if they are at risk • Questionnaire may be used at senior centers and home visits (such as meals on wheels) • Anyone identified at risk can be referred to a pharmacist for help

10. Medication Risk Assessment Tool • Short Questionnaire • Easy to ask questions • Easy to refer seniors for additional help • Work with local pharmacists or state pharmacy associations

11. Questions • How may prescriptions do you take each day? • Seniors take more prescriptions every day • More medications- More Risk of problems

12. Questions • How many non-prescription medications, vitamins or supplements or herbal products do you take each day? • Sometimes people forget to mention the over the counter medications and herbals that they take • These medications may still impact their health and could interfere with other prescription medications

13. Questions • How many different medications do you take in a week for pain? • Medications used for pain often can cause drowsiness, dizziness and falling • Needing more pain medication could be a sign your current medication may need to be adjusted or changed to control your pain

14. Questions • How many different doctors prescribe medication for you? • Many people see different specialty doctors and each doctor needs to be aware of the medications that you take. • Multiple doctors prescribing medication could be a risk

15. Questions • How often do you forget to take a medication? • There are many reasons that someone may forget to take a medication • Not taking all your medication as prescribed you lead to many problems

16. Questions • Do you know the reason that you are taking each of your medications? • It is very important to know why you are taking medications. Some medications need to be taken every day and some are only taken as you need them. Not knowing the reason could cause you to take the medication incorrectly.

17. Questions • Can you read the instructions on the prescription bottle? • Sometimes eyesight may change as you grow older. Not being able to see the prescription label could cause you to take the medication incorrectly • Some pharmacies can print the labels in LARGE PRINT

18. Questions • Do you have a method for keeping track of when you are to take which medications? • Does someone help you? -Some people use a “daily pill box” -Any kind of help lessens your risk for forgetting your medication or taking them incorrectly.

19. Questions • Do you ever skip doses of not fill a prescription because of cost? Sometimes pharmacists can help offer alternatives to more costly medications

20. Questions • During the past 6 months, how many times have you visited your doctor or clinic for medical care? • Sometimes frequent visits to the doctor or clinic could mean that you are having problems with your medications or that you need your medications adjusted.

21. Questions • How many times during the past 12 months have you been admitted to the hospital or Emergency Room? • Each year, medication-related problems are the cause of more than 250,000 hospital stays in people 65 or over. These hospitalizations cost an estimated $20 billion.

22. Questions • How well informed to you feel you are about the use and effects of your medications? • This question lets us know if the patient understands why they take their medication and how it effects them

23. Questions • How well informed do you feel about how to take your medicines? • This question will let us know if the senior has any other questions about taking their medication.

24. Questions • Compared to other people your age, would you say your health is: - Excellent - Good - Average - Poor This question can help determine if there is other health related information that the patient would like

25. ANSWERS What do they tell us?

26. Answers • Seniors that score high on this questionnaire may be at risk for medication related problems • Medication related problems can often be prevented • Talking with a pharmacist can help identify problems or potential problems that may be preventable

27. REFERAL • This questionnaire can identify patients that need to talk to the pharmacist • The Pharmacist can contact the patient and make arrangements to speak to them about their medication • The pharmacist can review their medications, answer any questions and provide additional information about their medications • The pharmacist can work with the patients doctor on any important issues that arise

28. Questions?