By Shawn Goodman,  and Susan C. Jenkins

 Nearly three-quarters of Canadian seniors have at least one chronic condition, and about one quarter have three or more. Almost two-thirds of those with three or more health conditions take at least five prescription medications on a regular basis.

Good news, bad news

The good news is that modern medicines help people live longer, healthier lives and help them maintain their independence. The bad news is that seniors are more likely to experience drug-related health problems due to of factors such as:

• Aging bodies react differently to medicines, even ones we’ve taken for a long time.
• The more medications we take, the greater the likelihood of making a mistake. For each medicine we take, we need to remember how much to take, when to take it, whether to take it with food or on an empty stomach, what foods or other drugs to avoid while on the particular drug. Taking five or more drugs can easily become confusing.
• When seeing more than one doctor (such as a family physician plus specialists), one of them may prescribe a drug that interacts with something another doctor prescribed.

Drug-related problems can range from uncomfortable to dangerous and may include oversedation, confusion, hallucinations, falls, and bleeding. Hospitalization rates due to adverse drug effects are four times higher in elderly patients than in younger people.

Finding a solution

In an effort to reduce medication-related problems, the Government of Ontario launched the MedsCheck program in 2007 to help people taking three or more prescription drugs for chronic conditions better manage their therapy. MedsCheck medication reviews give people the chance to meet one-on-one with a pharmacist to identify and resolve any issues that are preventing them from getting the best result from their medicines.

Great news, right? Well, it would be if more people took advantage of this free program, but fewer than half of eligible seniors do.

There are several different types of MedsCheck reviews available.

• MedsCheck Annual: People living in the community who are able to travel to their local pharmacy can make an appointment with the pharmacist for a personal consultation once each year.
• MedsCheck Follow-up: Certain circumstances, such as major changes to medications taken, make a person eligible for additional consultations between annual reviews.
• MedsCheck at Home: Those who can’t get to the pharmacy can arrange to have a pharmacist come to their home for the annual consultation. In addition to assessing medication use and answering any questions a person or caregiver may have, the pharmacist can also perform a medicine cabinet clean-up to get rid of any drugs that are outdated or no longer needed.
• MedsCheck Long Term Care (LTC): This program is designed for people who reside in long-term care facilities. It includes a comprehensive medication review once a year plus three more quarterly reviews.
• MedsCheck for Diabetes: In addition to the annual MedsCheck review, people with diabetes are eligible for education consultations throughout the year to help them manage their diabetes.

Get the most from your review

The following tips to help you get the most benefit from your medication review.

• Make sure the pharmacist knows about all medicines taken—prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements including vitamins/minerals.
• Include creams, lotions, inhalers, eye and ear drops, and patches, not just those medicines taken by mouth.
• Don’t forget natural health products. Just because they’re “natural,” doesn’t mean they’re safe, and some can interact with other medicines.
• Prepare a list of questions in advance, so you won’t forget to ask the pharmacist about anything you don’t understand.

Shawn Goodman RPh, PharmD, a doctor of pharmacy, is a clinical consultant pharmacist with Medical Pharmacies. Susan C. Jenkins is a freelance writer and editor specializing in medicine, pharmacy, and healthcare. She can be reached at susancjenkins@gmail.com.