Polypharmacy Informative Speech

433 Words2 Pages

How does polypharmacy come about? •Unfortunately, as we all age our bodies start to grow old with us. Arthritis kicks in, consitpation, diarrhea, our hearts get worn, our kidneys get tired, we forget important things. In this day and age there seems to be a medication for everything and a commercial for all of them. Our doctors don’t seem hesitant to prescribe a battery of medications for our high blood pressure and cholesterol, for our bloating, and for our digestive issues. Those medications cause your hands to shake and you have dry mouth? Here’s another medication for your side effects. Can’t remember to take all those meds, don’t worry, you’ll get sent home with a giant med box and another medication for memory. Because as we …show more content…

Polypharmacy is characterized by drug duplication, interaction, or both. The good news is, you can prevent it yourself with a little education and preparation. Here are some simple tips for avoiding polypharmacy: 1. Always read labels. They may tip you off to possible drug interactions 2. Use only one pharmacy to fill prescriptions 3. Learn your medications by name and what they are for 4. Make a list of all your medications including pill strength and dose, as well as herbal products, vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter drugs. Update it after every doctor visit 5. Carry your medications list everywhere. Bring it every doctor visit, along with the pill bottles 6. If you have more than one doctor, make sure each one knows what the other is prescribing 7. Ask your primary caregiver or pharmacist to run your medication list through a drug interactions database to identify possible problems, especially if you’re on five or more drugs 8. Avoid combination products such as cold formulas. Ask your pharmacist to help you find a product just for the symptoms you’re experiencing – not for every possible

Open Document