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How Pharmacies Can Help with Senior Medication Management

Take advantage of your pharmacy’s services to make your senior loved one’s life easier. Pharmacies are very helpful tools when it comes to senior medication management.

 

 

pharmacies and senior medication management©Monkey Business Images via Canva.com

 

 

Pharmacies are truly the unsung heroes of senior care. They stock and fill your senior loved one’s important prescriptions, but they also do so much more that goes beyond the call of duty. They want to see each patient live their highest quality of life, which is why many pharmacies expand their services beyond medication sales to also include senior medication management. 

 

 

Why Pharmacy-Led Medication Management Is Better Than Self-Managed

 

 

pharmacies and senior medication management©Tashi-Delek via Canva.com

 

 

Pharmacists and their teams dedicate their entire careers to drug chemistry and interactions. Their top concern is that the people taking the medications they provide are able to use them to get the most benefit. They want to make sure their patients (especially seniors) are taking their medications as prescribed and that the desired outcomes are achieved. 

 

 

That’s why they do more than just fill the doctor’s orders. They aim to optimize the entire medication regimen, which ultimately makes life easier for you and your senior loved ones.

 

 

Check with their pharmacy to see how they can help with the following senior medication management services:

 

 

Medication Deliveries

 

 

Many pharmacies now offer at-home delivery as part of their patient services, sometimes free of charge. Other pharmacies may charge a small fee for this service. Setting up prescription delivery can take one more task off your loved one’s to-do list and ensure they have important medications when they need them.

 

 

In Asheville, pharmacies that offer delivery services include B&B Pharmacy, Sona Pharmacy, and CVS. For Charlotte seniors, check with Carolina Pharmacy, Kaitlyn’s Pharmacy, Cannon Pharmacy, and others. 

 

 

If you have not yet signed up your senior for medication deliveries, you can delegate this task to your Asheville home care or Charlotte home care provider.

 

 

Medication Reminders

 

 

Medication reminders are an important priority for pharmacists, as patients that miss important doses of a medication risk having the medicine not work properly. In fact, it’s estimated that about half of the 2 billion prescriptions filled each year are not taken correctly, with forgetting being the most common culprit.

 

 

Some pharmacies offer smartphone apps that can simplify medication management for seniors. These apps often include a medication reminder feature that tells your senior loved one when to take a certain medication. 

 

 

If your pharmacy does not currently offer an app for medication reminders, they may be able to recommend a third-party app to their patients. Your in-home care provider can help set up the app for them.

 

 

Medication Refill Syncing

 

 

Sometimes, prescription refills can be ready the same day they were called into the pharmacy. But that’s not always the case, especially if a pharmacy is out of a certain medication. Setting up automatic refills is the single best way to mitigate this if your loved one forgets to call in a refill before they run out. 

 

 

Many pharmacies offer medication refill syncing to save time and close the gap between prescriptions. When one supply runs out, your loved one will have the next one ready as long as they have available refills to use per their doctor. 

 

 

Take advantage of these services to help your senior family member stick to their medication regimen and receive the best possible outcome.

 

 

For more senior living blogs click here

 

 

Sources:

 

 

https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/how-pharmacist-medication-management-programs-could-save-billions

 

 

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/the-top-medication-reminder-apps-for-patients

 

 

https://blog.cureatr.com/8-tips-for-the-medication-management-process