Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010 - North Mississippi - (Page 12)
Step 1
Start by removing all medications, vitamins and supplements that you can’t identify because they’re not in the original containers or the labels are unreadable. It’s dangerous to keep medication without dosage and other instructions. Toss prescriptions that are left over or expired, even if you’re tempted to hang on to them. Also toss medications that have changed color, texture, taste or smell. “If it’s expired, it’s expired,” says Heather Free, a pharmacist and spokeswoman for the American Pharmacists Association. “You wouldn’t keep expired food, would you? Especially with over-the-counter drugs, people think, ‘It’s probably still safe’ or ‘If it’s expired it’s just less potent, so I’ll double the dose.’ But that can put them in a toxic range.”
tOSS anythinG Old Or Unidentifiable
Expired meds lose potency at different rates and may become harmful or poisonous. Another benefit of culling your meds is that the fewer pills you have, the less likely you’ll be to confuse one for another. And don’t even think about sharing meds with family members or friends, which is unsafe, not to mention illegal. The best way to dispose of old medication is to take it to a community medication “take-back” event. Tossing pills in the trash could lead to the accidental poisoning of a child or pet; but making them less appetizing by mixing with used coffee grounds or kitty litter can help. Do not flush medication down the toilet (unless the drug’s label says it’s safe to do so) as it can lead to water contamination.
Step 2
Get OrGanized
Once you finish discarding your meds, it’s time to organize what’s left. Divide medications by type—prescriptions, over-thecounter, and vitamins and supplements. Separate prescriptions used by each member of the household so that you don’t accidentally take each other’s lookalike pills. Because rummaging through the medicine cabinet often happens late at night or when you’re sick or medicated, the more you can do to make it clear which medications are which, the better. These steps are especially important for seniors, who tend to take more meds and make more medication errors because of declining vision, hearing or memory. Your smaller, newly organized collection of medications should now include only what you’re currently taking, plus the bare minimum of painkillers and cold and flu medication for when minor ailments arise. No matter how much or how little you have stored, post the Poison Help hot line number (800-222-1222) somewhere visible, and enter it into your cellphone.
lOOk fOr a new lOcatiOn
Step 3
Despite the name, medicine cabinets might not be the best place to store your medications. In fact, a bathroom’s heat and moisture can accelerate the degradation of medications. Sunlight does, too. Therefore, it’s best to move your meds from the bathroom cabinet or kitchen cupboard to a spot that’s cool, dry and dark, such as a bedroom or closet. (The exception is medication requiring refrigeration.) If you have kids or grandchildren who visit, keep medication in a locked container such as a fire safe, recommends Brian Solow, M.D., a board member of the National Council on Patient Information and Education. “Many pills look like candy and some liquid medications even taste good, so you have to be extra careful with young children,” he says. Take precautions around teens, too. “We all want to think we can trust our teens, but we can’t always trust their friends,” Solow says. Prescription stimulants, sedatives and especially addictive painkillers— Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet—are often sought after by teens to use, trade or sell to friends. In a 2008 U.S. Department of Health survey, one in five teens admitted to abusing prescription meds. That’s more than cocaine, Ecstasy and methamphetamines combined. “Be sure your teen is prescribed the proper amount of medications and keep track of your own supply,” Solow says.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010 - North Mississippi
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010 - North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Lean On Me
Inside Look
What’s in Your Medicine Cabinet?
See the Future
The Female Factor
Take a Bite Out of Stress
Starring Role
Shouldering the Pain
Train Your Brain
What Now?
Choose Your Own Adventure
Community Report
Catch the Spirit
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010 - North Mississippi
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