The aspect of getting addicted to regular prescriptions can have wide dimensions. This can be common to our elderly loved ones who are taking long-term medicines. The dimensions include different reasons why they have been hooked to improper use of their medicines. It’s important to note that there may not be addiction happening but medication misuse. However, both situations can present similar manifestations in the person. So it may be hard for you to distinguish at first glance whether your loved one is misusing or already getting addicted.
Regardless of that, you can still carry out the following steps to help prevent this possibility. As your trusted Pharmacy in Orlando, Florida, here are our recommendations:
- Know the Signs of Prescription Addiction
Potential prescription addiction can be manifested in having taken their medicines more than what was prescribed. Instead of once per day, they may have taken it twice or more. You may also notice that their prescription supply intended for a month has already ran out before the expected date.
- Understand their Reasons for Getting Addicted
Pain relievers are the medicines that people get easily addicted to. The reason is that they want faster and more aggressive result to handle their pain. This can be your loved one’s reason. Before you become alarmed with this situation, try to get to the root of the issue so you can find the right way of resolving it.
- Talk with Their Physician
If you think that your loved one is getting hooked with their prescription, it is best to consult with their primary physician about the matter. The doctor can provide you with helpful insights and clarification as to whether the medications are really being used for addictive purposes or simply just being misused.
- Talk with the Pharmacist
Aside from the doctor, the pharmacists in your Retail Pharmacy in Orlando are also part of your healthcare team. Therefore, if you have concerns or questions about prescription addiction and its possibility, you can also seek their counsel. Licensed pharmacists can lend you insights as to verifying whether addiction has taken place or not.
- Consider Medication Transition
What you need to discuss with your loved one’s doctor or pharmacist is the possibility of transitioning to a new medication. This is a very helpful approach for patients to continue on receiving the treatment that they get from their medicine. They need to be given a guided medication option so their transition is manageable.
Surely, when our loved ones are taking medicines in long term, many possibilities of medication incidents can happen. For this reason, as your dependable Affordable Pharmacy, we highly encourage you to closely coordinate with your loved one’s healthcare team. If you have any concerns with their medications or how these should be administered, the healthcare team can enlighten you.
As you surround yourself with a trusted healthcare team, we encourage you to closely coordinate with our friendly pharmacists at Orlando Pharmacy.
