January SBR Wellness Roundup – medication misuse and abuse prevention

Linda Shannon-Hills

Our January SBR Wellness Roundup talk will be on Tuesday, January 10, at 4:00 p.m. presented by Sally Krommes from Pima Council on Aging. She will give an educational presentation with tools for organizing medications, safeguarding medications and safely disposing of medications. Join us for this important topic on Tuesday, January 10, at 4:00 p.m. in La Mesa and Montana rooms.

The National Poison Control Center reports that 41% of deaths by poisoning occurred in older adults in 2009. The problem is not only about opioids. Many problems come from daily prescriptions mixed with vitamins or over the counter medications. PCOA wants to share information on how medication misuse can happen daily and lead to accidental poisonings. We also have information to share on communicating with health care providers about medications. Older adults are especially more vulnerable to misuse and abuse of drugs for a variety of reasons:

When taking a combination of prescription drugs, over the counter medications and vitamins it can be challenging to safely manage everything.

Seniors do not always consult with their health care team before taking vitamins or over the counter medications along with prescriptions, and sometimes the combinations can be dangerous.

Changes in body weight, circulation and how our bodies break down and eliminate chemicals can create complications.

Join us to talk about the easy steps to improve your medication safety. Also learn of great ways to safely dispose of medications no longer needed.