Medication Safety for Older Adults in Broward County

By Silver Sitters

A clear medication routine can help an older adult manage treatment at home. Broward County families should work with the person, prescriber and pharmacist to understand the instructions and identify where assistance is needed.

Keep one current medicine list

Record prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements, including doses and schedules. Bring the list to appointments and update it when a clinician changes treatment. Ask about each medicine’s purpose, interactions and side effects, and report problems promptly.

Tell the pharmacist about difficulty opening packaging, reading labels or swallowing pills. Do not crush tablets, split doses or substitute products without checking. If cost is a barrier, ask about suitable alternatives or assistance; do not skip doses to make a prescription last longer.

Choose reminders that fit the instructions

A chart, alarm or agreed reminder call may help. Check before linking medicines to meals because some need an empty stomach. Discuss whether a pill organizer is suitable for the particular medicines and who will fill and check it. An organizer is an aid, not a guarantee against mistakes, and many are not child-resistant.

Keep different people’s medicines clearly separated. Record doses when taken, and agree how helpers will share information so that a second person does not repeat a dose.

Have a plan for errors

If a dose is missed or it is unclear whether it was taken, ask the pharmacist or prescriber for instructions rather than guessing. If the wrong medicine or too much medicine was taken, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 immediately. Serious poisoning may not produce early symptoms. Call 911 if the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened.

Clarify the support role

When arranging care at home, document who provides reminders, who is responsible for medication preparation or administration, and which tasks require a qualified professional. A nonmedical caregiver should not independently change treatment. Review the arrangement whenever prescriptions or the person’s ability to manage them changes.