This is about drugs — but not the kind that the new government is relentlessly waging a war against. Nevertheless, it’s something that could have a heinous effect.
It’s about our elderly unintentionally poisoning themselves and dying due to the overuse or misuse of drugs (medicines).
A few months ago, pharmacology and toxicology experts got together and took turns to enlighten the elderly on the factors that contribute to the altered effects of drugs among the senior population and share some tips on how to avoid drug poisoning during a forum aptly themed “Bantay Kalusugan para kay Lolo at Lola: Tamang Paggamit ng Gamot at Iba Pa.”
Dr. Lynn R. Panganiban, professor, UP College of Medicine and consultant, NPMCC UP-PGH, notes, “Because of physiological changes, elderly people handle drugs differently, which can cause serious adverse health effects if not properly used. Due to their poor eyesight, absentmindedness, and lack of awareness and understanding of the intended uses of drugs, the elderly are prone to adverse drug events (ADEs) or injuries resulting from the use of a drug. Social and economic factors such as vices, dietary preferences, and polypharmacy (the simultaneous use of multiple drugs) increase the risk to incidence of ADEs among the elderly, which can be avoided through the rational use of drugs.”
Here are some life-saving guidelines on preventing ADEs among the elderly, as prescribed by the experts:
1. The administration of medicines should be supervised.
2. Pills should be stored in their original containers, or in pillboxes or organizers, to avoid the mixing of pills. (We keep my mother’s anti-cholesterol and other pills in little square pillboxes attached to each other and labeled from Sunday to Saturday. An empty box means the medicine for the day has been taken.)
3. The labels on medicine containers should be retained and kept legible.
4. Self-medication or buying medicines marketed as “wonder” or “miracle pills” with cure-all indications should be avoided at all costs.
5. A list of medications currently taken should be kept and those that are no longer used should be discarded.
6. Polypharmacy (the use of two or more drugs together to treat a single condition or disease), especially of over-the-counter drugs, should be avoided.
The elderly are reminded to consult a doctor when new signs and symptoms appear and when thinking of taking an over-the-counter medicine.
To avoid accidental poisoning, elderly patients should request for a written treatment plan from their doctors. This should include: name(s) of the drug(s), dosage, indication(s), and instructions as to the manner of administration. Also make a note of the adverse effects to be monitored and the food to be avoided.
Noli Abinales, president of the EcoWaste Coalition, commended the NPMCC UP-PGH and PSCOT for paying close attention to overdose and poisoning cases involving the elderly, which often go unnoticed and unrecorded. Abinales expressed hope that our poison centers would get more budgetary support from the new administration for their efforts to uphold the right to chemical and pharmaceutical safety of vulnerable groups such as the elderly.
The top five toxicants affecting the elderly, according to NPMCC UP-PGH’s census of poisoning cases, are: pesticide (like Malathion), sodium hypochlorite (e.g., Zonrox), kerosene, benzodiazepine (e.g., Diazepam), and ethanol (e.g., alcoholic drinks).
source: Philippine Star
http://www.philstar.com/health-and-family/2016/08/02/1608962/rx-protecting-elderly-drug-overdose
