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Dr. Max Gomez reporting Each year there are hundreds of thousands of adverse drug interactions. The people most at risk are senior citizens.
Most people don't think of senior citizens as big consumers, but they are. In one area: medications.
Francesca Taranto, Patient: "I take four medications for my anxiety, and I take one for my thyroids, and I take one for my allergies, and I take one for high blood pressure... 16 prescriptions."
In fact, people over 65 consume up to 40-percent of all medications in this country. On average between three and six different medicines at any given time. While each of these drugs may be perfectly safe and effective, the problem is...
Dr. Michael Freedman, NYU Medical Center: "The more medications that you take the more likely you are to have a drug interaction that is going to give you a side-effect that is potentially dangerous."
That's even more likely when seniors take over the counter drugs and supplements.
Edsel McClurd, Patient: "I take a lot of health foods yes, I take a multiple vitamin everyday, B-100 everyday."
Then there's what the director of the burden center has seen when they ask seniors to bring in all their meds.
Bill Dionne, Burden Center for the Aging: "Some of the medications may be 10 years old. I've seen medications that are 15 years old. And, they are not even really sure what they are, what they were for, but they keep them in their medicine cabinets and never get rid of them."
All of which has led to an initiative from the National Council on the Aging and the Quigley Corporation to educate seniors about the proper use of over the counter medications and their potential for adverse side effects and interactions.
The most important thing: Tell your doctor every medicine you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements.
If you can't get to your doctor, ask your pharmacist.
