Pharmacy labels play an important role in our lives and that of those we love and care about – including older adults. As time passes and age begins to take its toll on us, most people will require certain medications to maintain their health and overall well-being.
However, because of our busy schedule and unavailability of caregivers, one might be left to manage their medications by themselves. While this may not seem like such a difficult task, it is a challenge for people who have to take multiple medications. How?
It means they must keep track of time and take each medication on schedule and as directed by the doctor or healthcare provider. But what happens if the instructions on the label are not legible or the patient is too old to understand complicated instructions?
In this insightful article, we will reveal professional tips on how to help seniors avoid medication errors and discuss common challenges people face with pharmacy labels and how they can overcome them. If you are ready, let’s dive in.
Readability is Key
Even though this is often overlooked, it is important to ensure that pharmacy labels are readable. As you can imagine, small fonts are difficult to read, and if the patient is visually impaired, it becomes more challenging for them to follow the instructions written on the labels.
If you ever find yourself in such a situation where you can not read what is written on the label, quickly call the attention of your pharmacist and express your concerns. Taking this step will prevent one from either taking the wrong medication or dosage.
Understanding Abbreviations
Sometimes, you will find abbreviations on pharmacy labels that may be difficult to understand – unless you have prior knowledge about them.
Having such confusing abbreviations can be a problem for older adults and their caregivers because they won’t be able to understand the information written on the labels.
Some popular examples are “OD” (once a day) and “BID” (twice a day). To avoid such confusion, you should ask your pharmacist what they mean and get them to give you a list of common medical abbreviations with your prescription.
Simplified Instructions
One common misconception among healthcare workers is that everybody has a basic knowledge of medical terms. Sadly, that is not the case because most people actually find them confusing.
As such, it is always best to keep things simple and use words or terms everyone understands. That way, there will be very low chances of patients not using their medications correctly. For example, instead of writing “Take one tablet every 8 hours, ” you should use “Take one tablet in the morning, one at lunch, and one in the evening.”
Last but not least, Double-Check Before Leaving the Pharmacy.
Whenever you go to pick up your medication or get a refill, you should not nit be in a rush to leave. Take the time to review and double-check the content/information on the pharmacy label. If anything is off or does not correspond with what your doctor told you, talk to the pharmacist about it and ensure you are satisfied with their answers before leaving.
In addition to these tips, let’s here are some common pitfalls that older adults might face when reading pharmacy labels and how to overcome them:
Pitfall 1: Fading Labels
While pharmacy labels are applauded for their durability, they tend to lose their legibility over time due to certain factors like exposure to light, friction, or moisture.
One way to effectively deal with such a situation is properly storing medication. Always remember to store your medications in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
You might also want to consider getting a pill organizer with compartments for each day of the week. This will help to keep your pills in good condition and prevent confusion.
Pitfall 2: Multiple Medications
Sometimes, patients are required to take multiple medications, and this can get very confusing for older folks. To avoid such mix-ups, you can ask the pharmacist to use distinctive labels or containers for each medication.
You can also ask for colour-coded labels or differently shaped pill bottles to prevent mix-ups.
Pitfall 3: Medication Timing
Another common challenge that older adults face with medications is keeping to time. Taking medications without proper timing will decrease their effectiveness.
To deal with this and not allow your busy schedule to get in the way, you should set alarms or reminders on your phone.
Pitfall 4: Medication Changes
Whenever your healthcare provider adjusts or changes your medication, always ensure the pharmacy label reflects the dosage and other important information. Also, double-check the label whenever you pick up a refill to ensure it matches your current prescription.