Professional Brown Bag Medicine Reviews Promote Senior Health and Safety
Author: Debbie Humphrey
At Home Helpers, many of the seniors we care for rely on daily medications, vitamins, or supplements to support their health. From time to time, some of our clients share concerns about unexpected side effects or uncomfortable reactions. This isn’t unusual. Most medications come with possible side effects. Problems arise when issues are linked to incorrect dosages or interactions between prescriptions and supplements, which can sometimes lead to serious health risks.
Managing medications and supplements can feel overwhelming, especially for seniors. Yet, they play a vital role in maintaining both physical and mental health. What many people don’t realize is that even common discomforts, like a headache or an upset stomach, may actually be side effects of prescriptions, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or even daily vitamins and supplements.
Considering the average senior takes 10 prescription medications, it’s no wonder confusion exists. That's a lot of medicine to keep track of and remember! During Talk About Prescriptions Month, I want to emphasize the importance of having your primary care provider or pharmacist conduct professional Brown Bag Medicine Reviews to promote senior health and safety.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) explains, “The Brown Bag Medicine Review is a common practice that involves encouraging patients to bring all their medicines and supplements to their (doctor or pharmacy) visit and review them. The goal is to determine what medicines patients are taking and how they are taking them. The process can uncover medicine errors and medicines missing from your list.”
Here are two sobering practical experiences with brown bag reviews as quoted by the AHRQ:
"Out of 10-15 brown bag reviews, only 2 were accurate."
"On the day of the brown bag review, we had a patient experiencing unexplained symptoms. It wasn't until we looked at his medicine bottles that we realized he was taking a double dose of beta blocker. Had we not had the medicine bottles to identify the problem, we would have sent him to the hospital."
Many drugs have similar side effects to the conditions for which they were prescribed, and they can cause dangerous interactions when combined with others in the body. This is a serious problem because many seniors don't even realize how many pills they are taking, or why, and the potential negative consequences of a high drug load.
So, what is a Brown Bag Medicine Review? I know we are probably one of the last generations to understand “brown bagging it,” but it is a simple way to explain the concept of putting ALL prescriptions, OTC medicines, vitamins, and supplements in a brown bag (or other container), and bringing them to your primary care provider or pharmacist to carefully review for potential adverse reactions, dose changes, expiration, and necessity.
Brown Bag Reviews are an easy way for seniors (and their caregivers) to check that all of their prescriptions match up correctly and none have expired (which happens more than you think). By bringing in ALL medicines at once, a doctor or pharmacist can check them against each other and ensure that everything is correct before the patient leaves the office or pharmacy.
Again, patients must bring in ALL prescribed or OTC medicines, vitamins, and supplements to discuss potential interactions and to address any questions about whether a medication should be continued or adjusted.
Mixing up your medicine with the wrong dose or taking too many pills can be dangerous, or even fatal. To make matters worse, seniors often forget what they've taken and when. This is extremely dangerous because it could lead to negative interactions and potential overdoses.
The simple practice of a Brown Bag Review may help avoid serious side effects such as confusion, falls, dizziness, fainting spells, and even hospitalization due to adverse reactions between different medicines taken simultaneously by one person.
A Brown Bag Review also helps patients stay on top of their medication schedules, so they don't miss important doses, which could lead to health complications down the line, like heart attacks and strokes.
A Brown Bag Review is a great way for seniors to ensure that all of their medications and supplements are working for them, not against them. A thorough check-up by a doctor or pharmacist will help ensure that the medications and supplements are safe for use in combination with each other and beneficial in treating symptoms and conditions for which they were prescribed or recommended.
Managing medications and activities of daily living can be a challenge for many seniors. However, a compassionate Home Helpers caregiver can provide medication and hydration reminders to help them stay on track; plan and prepare nutritious meals and snacks, especially when drugs must be taken with food; and lend support through companionship so they can feel confident knowing that someone is there to help.
I invite you to schedule a no-obligation FREE consultation today and discover how our personalized in-home care services can make life easier, safer, and more enjoyable for your senior loved one.
Home Helpers Clearwater proudly serves male and female seniors, veterans, and differently abled individuals in Bayonet Point, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, Dunedin, Gulfport, Holiday, Hudson, Largo, Madeira Beach, New Port Richey, North Redington Beach, Oldsmar, Palm Harbor, Pass A Grille, Pass A Grille Beach, Port Richey, Redington Shores, Safety Harbor, Saint Petersburg, Seminole, South Pasadena, Tarpon Springs, Tierra Verde, Treasure Island, Trinity, and surrounding areas. Home Helpers®…we are Making Life Easier® 727.942.2539
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