Older adults are at a higher risk for medication errors than any other population, according to a recent study cited in a San Francisco Chronicle article.

"Research done in 1999 rated mistakes in prescription medications as a leading cause of death and injury in the United States," according to Jeannette Alpen Hanni, an experienced pharmacist who is Mills-Peninsula's director of pharmacy.

"The current findings show that older patients are most at risk because they typically have more medicines and more doctors."

Mistakes can be made when people with chronic or multiple health conditions visit multiple doctors in different settings, she said.

"They might even take their prescriptions to different pharmacies to be filled - so their records are in several different systems that don't talk to each other."

As a result, the risk of getting drugs that are incompatible goes up, Hanni said. "Drug interactions can be fairly serious." Pharmacists are required to check existing profiles for possible medicine interactions, she said.

"Our inpatient pharmacy's computer system has a built-in alert system to prompt us in case of an incompatibility, and if there is any question, we call the doctor to clear it up."

Yet, any one medical professional is not perfect, Hanni advises. "If the medication looks different, ask and make sure you know what you've got."

She suggests older adults bring a list of their medications when they go into any health care setting.

"Mills-Peninsula currently is developing an electronic medical record which make important patient information, including medications, accessible electronically to health professionals in and out of the hospital," she said. "The program, scheduled to be implemented in 2008, will help eliminate errors while keeping medical information secure."

As a part of the current patient safety standards required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Mills-Peninsula also requires health care professionals to review medication records whenever a patient is transferred to a different area where medicines might be prescribed, Hanni said.

"At every point of care, doctors are required to update and review the records so that conflicts can be avoided."

She also recommends taking the following precautions to avoid mistakes at home:

• Don't keep medications that have expired


• If your doctor changes your medication, start over with a new supply and dispose of the old medicine properly (See article on county drug disposal program)


• If you take two medications that look the same or have names that sound alike, put them in separate places


• Stay within the same health care system; when possible fill prescriptions at the same pharmacy

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