Your Health: Older adults & safely taking medications

Medicines are intended to help us live longer and healthier, but taking medicines the wrong way or mixing certain drugs and supplements can be dangerous. Older adults often have multiple medical conditions and may take many medicines, which puts them at additional risk for negative side effects.

During Poison Prevention Week, let’s talk about ways older adults can safely take medications.

1. Make a list. Write down all medicines you take, including OTC drugs. Also include any vitamins or dietary supplements. The list should include the name of each medicine or supplement, the amount you take, and time(s) you take it. If it’s a prescription drug, also note the doctor who prescribed it and the reason it was prescribed. Show the list to all your health care providers, including physical therapists and dentists. Keep one copy in a safe place at home and one in your wallet or purse.

2. Get familiar with your medicines. If you take more than one medicine, make sure you can tell them apart by size, shape, color, or the number imprinted on the pill.

3. Create a file. Save all the written information that comes with your medicines and keep it somewhere you can easily refer to it. Keep these guides for as long as you’re taking the medication.

4. Check expiration dates on bottles. Don’t take medicines that are past their expiration date. Your doctor can tell you if you need a refill.

5. Secure your medicines. Keep your medicines out of the reach of children and pets. If you take any prescription pain medicines (for example, morphine, other opioids, or codeine), keep them in a locked cabinet or drawer. If your medicines are kept in bottles without safety caps because those are hard for you to open, be extra careful about where you store them.

6. Dispose of your medicines safely. Check the expiration dates on your medication bottles and discard any unused or expired medicines as soon as possible. Timely disposal of medicines can reduce the risk of others taking them accidentally or misusing the medications on purpose. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about how to safely discard expired or unneeded medications. For a free prescription drug disposal kit, visit or call City-County Health District at 701-845-8518.

Poisonings can happen to anyone. Just under half of the calls to poison control centers are about children – but poisonings in teens, adults and older adults are usually more serious. In tweens and teens, the most common poison exposures include pain medicines, antidepressants, and foreign bodies or toys. While adults are most likely to be exposed to pain medicines, sleep medicines and anxiety/mood medicines, as well as antidepressants. For older adults, common poison exposures include heart medicines, pain medicines, or sleep and anxiety/mood medicines.

Anything can be poisonous if it is used in the wrong way, in the wrong amount, or by the wrong person. If you suspect a poisoning, don’t take a chance. Call the Poison Help center at 1-800-222-1222.

If you have questions about securing your medication or using it appropriately, contact your pharmacist or City-County Health District at 845-8518.