Nearly two million Australians take five or more medicines on a regular basis, with older people most affected by the growing problem of medication management.
Pharmacists are now calling for more Medicare-covered home checks to catch dangerous mix-ups before patients end up in hospital.
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Retiree John Green, 89, is among those getting his medication checked. He takes two tablets for his heart, one for blood pressure, all prescribed by doctors. He also takes vitamins, antihistamines, eye drops and pain relief for his arthritis.
Multiple drugs can be necessary, especially for patients with multiple conditions, but there are serious dangers.
Medicine mix-ups send around 400,000 Australians to the emergency room every year.
“You become more prone to side effects or some side effects for some medicines as you age,” Professor Mark Naunton from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia said.
With different doctors prescribing different drugs, the full picture can slip through the cracks.
A medicines home review is free, with patients only needing a referral from their GP.
Consultant pharmacist Tim Perry said it’s crucial to regularly reassess medications.
“It’s always worth reassessing medication you’re currently on if you’ve been on it for a long time,” he said. “Is it still appropriate? Do you still need it? Is the dose right?”
Pharmacists are currently capped at 30 government-funded home medicine reviews a month. They want that limit increased so more Australians can have their medicines checked.
“We can save a lot of lives,” Perry said. “We can save a lot of sickness, a lot of hospitalisations.”
For Green, the regular checks are working.
“It just keeps me going,” he said. “I don’t have any problems.”
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