Medicine Management

Overview

Conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis can sometimes occur as a natural part of aging. Treatments for these conditions often include prescription medicines. If you take multiple medications, it can be challenging to keep them organized. It’s also important to understand how different medicines interact with one another.

The more medicines you take, the more difficult it becomes to manage them. Understanding how they interact and the possible side effects of taking medications is an important part of staying healthy. Usually medicines are absorbed into the blood, and then filtered out over time by your kidneys and liver. Natural effects of aging impact our body’s ability to clear medicines from our blood, allowing drugs to build up over time and have a stronger effect than intended.

Side effects of taking multiple medications can include:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Risk of falling due to lightheadedness
• Stomach ulcers

These side effects can greatly affect your health and quality of life. Whenever you take a medicine, whether it is an over-the-counter or prescription medicine, be sure to talk to your physician about all of the medicines you are taking and how they might interact.

What to Expect

Our physicians understand how medicines affect people, especially those over age 65. IU Health Geriatrics physicians specialize in coordinated care to ensure you receive medicine in safe doses and that none of your medicines will interact in harmful ways. Talk to your physician about medicine assessments, management and support.

Medicine Assessments

Bring all your medicines with you in their original containers for your medicine assessment. IU Health providers will review all your medications to determine how the medicine may be affecting you.

If you have memory, mood or mobility problems, medicine may be the issue. If a medicine issue is discovered, adjustment in your dosing or type of medicine may better fit your needs. IU Health will coordinate this assessment with your primary care provider to ensure any changes are communicated.

Medicine Management

After any medicine change, you will be monitored for new side effects, changes in health or other issues the medicine may cause. Communication with your provider is especially important during this time so adjustments can be made as needed.