Medication safety is a leading healthcare concern these days, especially for senior citizens. The older you get, the more critical it becomes to take your health and medication use seriously. If you need to take medication regularly, here are three valuable tips to keep you safe.

Ensure Proper Medication Storage

Medicines are expensive, and if you’re someone who likes to purchase them in bulk amount to avoid visiting the pharmacy every month, you must take appropriate measures to store them for optimal longevity. You should generally keep medication in a cool and dry place.

Therefore, it’s not the best idea to store them in places where they’re at risk of being exposed to heat and exposure. Avoid keeping medication in your bathroom or kitchen cabinet, and store them in your bedroom, safely kept away from children and pets.

Additionally, remember to read storage requirements on all your medication packaging. Follow the pharmacist or doctor’s specific storage instructions, such as refrigeration.

Pre-Sort Weekly Medications

Another safety tip for senior citizens to follow for safe medication is to be as organized as possible. You don’t want to engage in the hassle of sorting through multiple medications every day. Therefore, you must pre-sort all your doses a week before the next. A pill organizer is an excellent medication management tool in such cases.

You can use this organizer to classify medication and place them in compartments with essential instructions about consuming them. It’s best to split the pills or put the extra aside beforehand in the pill organizer compartments instead of fumbling with pill cutters every day.

Only Consume What’s Prescribed

Lastly, the most crucial medication safety tip is only to take what’s been prescribed to you. Self-treatment and self-diagnosis are extremely dangerous when you don’t know what you’re consuming. It’s critical to avoid taking any medication not ordered or prescribed by your doctor or healthcare provider. Consult your doctor if you experience any side effects or discomfort from your prescribed medication.

Your medical problem is highly likely to get worse if you take another individual’s prescription to manage a similar condition. Similarly, misusing prescription medication can result in addiction.

Are you an older adult struggling to pay for your prescription medications? Let us at Advocate My Meds help you lift this financial burden with our prescription assistance programs. As a full-service prescription assistance organization, we aim to provide low-income individuals with easy access to healthcare by offering Novo Nordisk patient assistance, Abbvie patient assistance, Boehringer patient assistance, and more. Contact us to enroll today!