Blair Senior Services, Inc. and Tyrone Hospital are co-sponsoring “Medication Management Day” at the Tyrone Senior Community Center on Thursday, March 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Center is located at 505 West 3rd Street, Tyrone. The event will include one on one “medication check-ups”, informational exhibits, and an educational presentation for the public on issues of medication management.
“Each individual is an important member of his or her own health care team,” said Robin Beck, Director of Community Relations for Blair Senior Services, Inc. “Managing medications appropriately is critical to maintaining and improving a person’s health. This is especially true for older individuals that may be taking a number of different prescriptions. We are delighted to be partnering with the Tyrone Hospital to provide an opportunity for people to meet with local experts, get answers to their questions about medications, and learn techniques that can help them remember to take their medicines on schedule.”
The “medication check-ups” will be provided by Dan Irvin, PharmD, a pharmacist at Tyrone Hospital. It will include a review of prescribed medications, when and how often medications should be taken, drug interactions and precautions, medication side effects, and the effects of any over the counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal remedies. There can be harmful interactions between different types of medications. Some medications need to be taken on an empty stomach, others need to be taken with food. In some cases, if one medication is taken then a person needs to wait for some hours before they can take other medications. Some should not be taken with vitamins.
Irvin said another concern is that people sometimes confuse a side affect from a medication with a disease symptom.
“It is very important for people to take their medications properly. During the medication check-ups, we can help people sort through some of these details to help them do that.”
The “medication check-ups” are open to individuals age 60 or older as well as family members or other caregivers who assist with medication. To make an appointment for a medication check-up, call Tyrone Hospital at 684-6348 before Monday, March 5. Participants should bring all of their medications with them to the appointment in their original containers along with any over the counter medications, vitamins and herbal supplements taken.
Assistance in organizing medications will also be available at the event. Older adults often take multiple medications and it can be challenging to orchestrate a schedule to take them all properly. Nursing staff from Tyrone Hospital will be present to share information on various ways to organize medication and to help individuals decide which may work best for them. No appointment is required.
Representatives from Blair Senior Services\’ APPRISE Health Insurance Counseling Program will be available to answer questions about insurance and prescription assistance. The Agency will also have a display of medication management assistive devices, and will have available written materials related to medication management and overall Agency services.
In addition to providing the one-on-one medication check-ups, Irvin will be the guest speaker on the topic of medication management from noon to 12:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the presentation.
Lunch will be available for those 60 and over. Reservations can be made by calling the Tyrone Senior Community Center at 684-7853 no later than Monday, March 5.
Accessible transportation is available for those who may need a ride to the event. Please make a reservation by calling Blair Senior Services’ Transportation office at 695-3500 or 1-800-458-5552 by Monday, March 5.
