Medication Safety for Older Adults

Polypharmacy risks, fall-risk medications, and how blister packaging and a yearly Medication Review can help older adults manage multiple medications safely.

The Polypharmacy Problem

Polypharmacy — typically defined as taking five or more medications regularly — becomes common with age, as more conditions accumulate more prescriptions. Each additional medication adds another chance for an interaction, a side effect, or a missed or duplicated dose. It's not a moral failing to be on many medications; it's a safety question worth actively managing.

Fall-Risk Medications

Certain classes of medication increase fall risk, particularly in combination: sedatives and sleep aids, some blood pressure medications, certain antidepressants, and opioid pain relievers. If you or a loved one has had a recent fall, it's worth a medication review specifically looking at this list.

Signs It's Time for a Review

• ✓Taking five or more regular medications
• ✓Medications prescribed by more than one doctor
• ✓A recent hospital stay or emergency room visit
• ✓A recent fall, or increased unsteadiness
• ✓Confusion about when or how to take something
• ✓Difficulty opening containers or reading small print on labels

Blister Packaging: A Practical Solution

Our blister packaging service organizes all of a patient's medications into clearly labelled, date-and-time sorted pouches — morning, noon, evening, bedtime — for the whole week. It removes the guesswork of sorting pills from multiple bottles, makes it obvious at a glance whether a dose was taken, and is especially valuable for caregivers managing medications for a parent or spouse.

The Yearly Medication Review

A Medication Review is a private, one-on-one appointment with our pharmacist to go through everything you take — prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements — checking for interactions, duplicate therapy, and medications that may no longer be needed. For eligible Ontario residents on multiple medications, it's covered under OHIP at no cost.

For Caregivers

If you manage medications for a parent or family member, we can set up their profile so refills, reviews, and pickup notifications come to you as well. Ask us about setting up caregiver access — it makes coordinating care significantly easier.

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