Medication – Is It Making Someone Elderly Better or Worse ?
I recently read about the Adverse drug reactions many of our prescription and over the counter medications cause. This made me question whether the Arthrotec anti-inflammatory medication I had taken for many years could in the long term cause me more problems than they were currently solving with the main side effect being internal bleeding.
I made the decision to stop taking the tablets and although I am noticeably stiffer in some joints it is manageable and along with eating foods to reduce inflammation such as olives, oily fish and ginger I feel I have made an important decision in protecting my health for the future,
Currently many Doctors are reviewing the medication prescribed to older people in an attempt to reduce the number of tablets they take. This has a two fold advantage, the patient is not at risk of adverse drug reactions and it also saves the NHS money.
Medicines: Safety of Medicines – Adverse Drug Reactions.
Key facts
- Unintended, harmful reactions to medicines (known as adverse drug reactions) are among the leading causes of death in many countries.
- The majority of adverse drug reactions (ADR) are preventable.
- People in every country of the world are affected by ADRs.
- In some countries ADR-related costs, such as hospitalization, surgery and lost productivity, exceed the cost of the medications.
- No medicine is risk free. Vigilant assessment of the risks and benefits of medicines promotes patient safety.
If you have any concerns about the side effects of any medication an elderly person you care for is taking please contact their GP and ask for a review.
