Storage of your drugs here can increase side effects, study results

The researchers say that the results are "counter-intuitive". Here's how to store your drugs safely.


For many Americans who manage chronic conditions, takingMedicines and supplements is an important part to stay healthy. And if you juggle several prescriptions, you can have a special way to store your medicines to follow those to take, and when. However, a new study published in the journalHealth technology assessment have found that a popular storage method can actuallyIncrease your risk According to the harmful effects of drugs - something that researchers have found "counter -intuitive" given the purpose of the product. Read the continuation to find out which storage method could increase the risk of side effects - and why you shouldn't stop using it if you've already started.

Read this then:If you use this common medication, the FDA has a new major warning for you.

Most Americans over 50 take on regular daily drugs.

man in his late fifties reaches for one of his prescription medication bottles as he sits at his dining room table
istock

Everyone needs aFilled prescription From time to time, but you may be surprised to learn the number of prescriptions that the average American fills each year.AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

According to the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, more than 131 million Americans, or 66% of all adults in the United States,Use prescription drugs every year. And the chances of requiring several drugs increase with age. "Three -quarters of people aged 50 to 64 use prescription drugs, compared to 91% of 80 years and over," write their experts. "The average number of prescriptions completed [annually] also increases with age, by 13 years for people aged 50 to 64 for the 80th and over."

Read this then:Never take these 2 common over -the -counter drugs at the same time, experts warn.

Changing the way you store your drugs can have negative effects, has revealed a study.

A Variety of Open Pill Bottles
Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock

A study by researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) analyzed the impact of elders storing their prescription drugs in pill organizers. Although these are generally presented as a means of minimizing adverse effects by reducing the risk of double dose or completely forgetting its drugs, which researchers have discovered were counter-intuitive. Use of data of "unintentional elderly people" - which makes seniors who have often forgotten to take their regular drugs - the team learned that people whoPassed to drug organizers were more likely to feel side effects than those who took their pills directly bottles.

"We found that in average, when patients who had already taken their medication were transferred to an organizer of pills, they took all their drugs andhas become bad, while those who remained on the packaging of usual drugs had no negative effect, "saidDebi Bhattacharya, PHD, a main author of the study of the UEA pharmacy school, via the press release.

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This is why researchers think it happens.

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Although the drug organizers can help people take the recommended doses, the transition from the labeled bottles to the organizers can cause negative effects.

"It is likely that because patients had taken their drugs sporadically, they did not get the expected health improvements. The doctor may have increased the dose of the drug to try to get the desired effect," said Bhattacharya. "When these patients were transferred to an organizer of pills and suddenly started to take more of their prescribed drugs than before, they have experienced normal side effects of the drug."

If you are already using a pill organizer, don't stop now.

Senior woman taking meds from pill organizer
Whisper

Although the use of pill organizers can increase your risk of negative effects at the time of transition, researchers have stressed that if you already use them without any problems, you should not stop.

In the long term, these products offer considerable advantages. "People who are already using an organizer of pills without any sick effect should not stop using it, as they seem to help some patients take their drugs as prescribed," said Bhattacharya. "It is the switching phase that seems to be the danger."

The key, according to the researchers, is to consult your doctor or pharmacist when you intend to change storage methods to make sure you have received appropriate doses. To this end, it is important to be transparent with your medical suppliers if you have not taken all your medicines as recommended before going to a pill organizer.

Read this then:If you do this common thing with your pills, have your liver checked now.


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