Ask Dr Miriam Q

The family have just settled my mum in to a care home. For the first time we had to look at the various tablets she was taking. We could hardly believe she was on 11 different kinds and none of us are sure she’ll have her medications supervised in the care home. We’re all worried.

AYou’re right to be concerned. A new report has shown many elderly people are taking pointless pills and could stop taking them without doing any harm.

A leading UK pharmacist has suggested that high street chemists could go into care homes and sort out this problem. Hundreds of thousands of older people need to go to hospital because of the side effects of drugs they often didn’t need. Some older people might no longer be able to swallow the pills they’ve been taking for years. Or they might be taking them at the wrong time of the day.

So I would insist that a local pharmacist reviews your mum’s medication.