Four Steps to Successful Medication Management

Medication management is a very important responsibility. As a caregiver, you must ensure that your elderly loved one takes the right medication, in the right dose, at the right time each and every day. This can become an overwhelming task—especially if your senior has a variety of prescriptions. Although it is a big undertaking, successful medication management does not have to be too complicated.
In fact, simplifying the process is the best way to ensure that you succeed in providing the quality medication management that your loved one deserves. Here are four ways to make this task easier and more successful.

1. Fill all medications at the same pharmacy. Building a relationship with the pharmacist will allow you to feel comfortable asking any questions that may arise. Furthermore, your pharmacist may be able to catch incompatible prescriptions before your loved one begins taking the latest medication recommended by their doctor. Because seniors often have a variety of doctors on their side, this is an incredibly important aspect of proper medication management.
2. Keep all of the literature about your elderly loved one’s medications in one, easy to access location. With this bundle of literature, keep any notes that you take while speaking to the doctor or pharmacist.
3. Go with your senior to the doctor’s office if they are comfortable with you doing so. When a new medication is prescribed, ask the doctor any questions that both you and your loved one may have. By the time you leave the office, you should both understand why the medicine was prescribed, its intended effect, possible side effects, and how soon it should start working.
4. Maintain a list of all of the medications your elderly loved one is taking and when they are to be administered. Include the proper dosages. Additionally, mark each time you give your senior their prescription on a calendar or in a notepad so that you can document when they took each medication.

As you manage your senior’s medication, remember to monitor your loved one for any side effects or adverse reactions. Keen observation paired with these four tips will help you manage your loved one’s medication successfully.