Taking Meds Is Such a Pill… How To Fix This

As we get older, chronic health conditions can become a significant part of our lives. Treatment often involves a growing list of medications that can become difficult and time consuming to manage. The coordination of getting prescriptions from your doctor, refilling them and keeping them all organized is challenging. It is not surprising to hear that less than 50% of Canadians are compliant with their medications, meaning they do not take them as prescribed.

Why does this happen?

Well we often either forget to take our meds or choose not to take our meds as prescribed.

Problem #1: We Choose To Not Take Our Meds As Prescribed

As we age we tend to take more medications and as a result get more undesirable side effects. Dizziness, tiredness, insomnia, constipation, and bladder control problems are just a few examples of side effects that occur because we are on too high of a dose or on too many medications. It is important to know that these are not normal processes of aging. Medication overuse in older adults is more common than you think. It occurs because as we age our bodies ability to process and eliminate medications declines. As a result medications tend to stick around a lot longer, accumulate in our body and lead to increased side effects and even toxicity. Sometimes the side effect of one medication is treated with another, leading us to feel even more unwell. Side effects and feeling unwell are usually the reason why older adults choose to not take their meds as prescribed.

Click here to learn more about Medication Overuse in Older Adults

Solution #1: Have Your Medications Personalized To YOU!

Side effects and medication overuse in older adults could soon be a thing of the past. Electronic health record systems, like ClinicalConnect, are now allowing for improved information exchange amongst healthcare professionals. The collaborative care model, often seen in the hospital, is now possible in the community setting. Pharmacists are now able to access important information such as diagnoses, doctors reports, and blood work to help personalize medications to each individual. Pharmacists can now leverage their expertise on medications to help select the right medication and dose for you based on your other medications, drug interactions, side effects and on how your body processes them.

Certified Geriatric Pharmacists specialize in how to adapt our medications to our bodies as we age. They can now access blood work to determine your kidney function and how your body processes medication to help assess what is the right medication and the right dose for you. The Health Depot uses ClinicalConnect and a growing team of Certified Geriatric Pharmacists and other Pharmacist specialists to help personalize your medications, reduce your side effects, and improve your overall health.

Watch the video below to learn more about medication overuse and the need to personalize medications.

Problem #2: We Forget To Take Our Medications

As we take more prescriptions, vitamins, minerals, and over-the-counter health products, it can become challenging to manage our health properly. Remembering to refill, pick up and organize a growing list of mediations can become a daunting task. It is no wonder that we often forget to take our medications. How can we help to improve managing meds? Weekly pill organizers can help. However, they are very labor intensive and don’t help with the complexity of knowing what meds need to be separated so they don’t interact. Pill organizers are also not convenient, as they are not easy to take with you.

Solution #2A: Get Your Meds Organized In Daily Dose Packs

Have your meds organized for you by date and time in Daily Dose Packs at no additional cost. They fit conveniently in your pocket or purse, allowing you to take them with you wherever you go. The packs are easy to open and replace the need for “hard-to-open” bottles or bulky blister packs. The pharmacists at The Health Depot help to organize your packs ensuring meds are at the proper times and correctly spaced for your preferences and safety.

Solution #2B: Get Automatic Refills

Automatic Refills: Have your daily meds synchronized and automatically filled and delivered to your door for FREE. The Health Depot has a team of Pharmacist Specialists that will even contact your doctor for refills so you never have to worry about running out again.

Problem #3: Your Pharmacy Doesn’t Have Daily Dose Packs or Cannot Personalize Your Meds

Solution #3: Transfer To The Health Depot Pharmacy … They Are Happy To Help!

Contact The Health Depot today for a no obligation FREE consultation about your Medications and learn why they are the preferred pharmacy for CARP and Zoomer. Call Toll Free: 1-855-844-2242 or email [email protected]

Savings for CARP members: Visit The Health Depot’s CARP exclusive SAVINGs page to learn more or give them a call today to start the conversation on how The Health Depot Pharmacy can help make managing your meds easier, more personalized and more affordable for CARP members. Click on the link above to learn more about how you can SAVE on prescriptions and health store items.