1. Taking your medications properly and safely Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD, CGP, BCACP, FAPhA Assistant Dean, Experiential Learning Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Science

2. Agenda Impact of medication adherence Challenges to proper medication use Tools to use medications safely Drug interactions Questions to ask your pharmacist

3. Medication adherence Definition: “The extent to which patients take medications as prescribed by their health care providers”

4. The numbers Don’t fill their prescription Don’t take their medicine after filling their prescription Stop taking their medication before it runs out Take less of the medication than on the label Source: American Heart Association

5. Adherence Self Assessment Source: adultmeducation.com

6. Challenges to medication adherence I don’t know what my medicine is for I’m afraid to take my medicine because… Do I have to take this medicine forever? This medicine is too expensive for me Can I take this medicine with others? What will this medicine do for me? This medicine is too hard for me to take I don’t understand how to take this medicine

7. Tools to help take your medicines

10. Source: rxvitality.com

11. Source: http://scriptyourfuture.org/file/4dc831da38f0d.pdf

12. Don’t forget about the over-the- counter medicines, including vitamins and supplements!

14. Questions to ask about your medicines What is the brand and generic name of this medicine? What is this medicine supposed to do? How should I use this medicine? How long I should use this medicine? What should I do if I miss a dose? When will the medicine begin to work?

15. Questions to ask about your medicines When will the medicine begin to work? How will I know if the medicine is working and what should I do if it doesn’t seem to work? What tests, if any, will be needed once I start taking this medicine? When will my first test be?

16. Questions to ask about your medicines What side effects should I watch out for? – What can I do to lessen side effects? – When should I be concerned? While using this medicine, what should I avoid? – Driving or operating heavy machinery – Alcohol – Certain foods – Other medicines

17. Questions to ask about your medicines How should I store the medicine? – Room temperature – Refrigerator – Other special storage requirements? Are there special instructions about how to use the medicine?

18. Drug interactions What is a drug interaction? – An event that causes a medication to act differently than expected Food Drug Condition Drug interactions cause: – Higher or lower levels of medications – Side effects – Less-effective therapy

19. Tips to avoid drug interactions Keep an accurate list of medicines, including medication samples, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements Share list with all your health care providers Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting any new medicines Fill your prescriptions at one pharmacy

20. Final thoughts Medication non-adherence poses a huge problem in the management of health conditions and contributes to $300 billion dollars per year Be informed about your medicines to use them safely Talk with your pharmacist or doctor about your medicines

21. Thank you!