Chances are your mom and dad have more than one chronic condition, so they get to meet a number of specialists. As they visit one doctor after the next, they might walk away from each visit with a prescription in hand. If they forgot to tell either doctor about what they're taking, they've placed themselves in danger of an adverse drug reaction. Besides taking drugs that may negatively interact with each other, your parents might also be taking the same drug twice—and not know it.
Senior Alert - One of the more common side effects of multiple medications is dizziness and confusion. Before anyone decides Dad now has Alzheimer's, make sure his physician rules out medications as a factor. Some doctors put their patients on a "drug holiday" slowly taking them off all drugs to determine exactly what's going on.
One doctor might give a drug in the generic name and another in the brand name. Our parents might think that they are taking two separate drugs because the names are very different and the pills don't look alike. If the doctors are unaware of what Mom or Dad is taking, or your pharmacist doesn't pick up the double whammy, your parents could be in for some serious trouble.
Not all drugs or combinations of drugs are bad. For instance, a physician might prescribe an anti-ulcer medication with an anti-inflammatory medication. The doctor is doing this because the anti-inflammatory drug can cause severe irritation to the lining of the stomach. So as a precautionary measure, he or she will prescribe the anti-ulcer drug.
Geri-Fact - A generic drug is labeled by its chemical name, while a brand name drug carries a name given by its manufacturer. For example, the brand name of the sleeping medication Restoril has a generic equivalent known as temazepam. Generics are spinoffs of brand name drugs, but they must have the same active ingredients, strength, and dosage form as brand name drugs. They must also be the same chemically and have the same medical effect. Generics cost much less than the brand name drug, sometimes half the price.
