On these pages, we look at the risks of taking too many medicines, which is a big cause of unwanted trips to hospital.
We tend to gain prescriptions as we get older, and some of these taken together might cause problems. It’s OK to ask our doctor or pharmacist what they all do, and if all are still necessary, or if a lower dose or they can be taken in a different way to get a better effect.
It’s also common for people not to take their medicines as prescribed. If this is the case it’s ok to tell your doctor or pharmacist this and ask for advice on whether this is the right thing to do. This means encouraging people to be involved in shared decision making ‘No decision about me without me’ .
It’s OK to ask about your medicines
We want you to be as well as possible, and taking your prescribed medicines is a big part of that. As we get older, things change, and we might need different medication or different doses. It’s OK to ask about your medicines. You can ask your GP or the pharmacist when you collect your prescription, questions such as:
- What are the benefits?
- What are the risks?
- What are the alternatives?
- What if I do nothing?
If you feel that a medicine is making you feel unwell in any way, either alone or when you take it with something else, then you need to tell your doctor or practice pharmacist. It’s OK to ask if you are worried.
Did you know?
About 1 in 5 hospital admissions among over-65s are due to the harmful effects of medication
Medicines review
Your GP practice might ask you to come in for a medicines review, also known as a medication review, from time to time, or you could ask for one yourself. This will be a meeting with either a GP or a practice pharmacist. Both are able to check what you are taking and suggest changes.
This video explains how to prepare for a medication review, what to expect and how it might help you.
It’s OK to ask for a medication review if you are worried, you feel that your medicines might be making you unwell, or even if you’ve just been on the same tablets for a long time and want to check they are still right for you.
Medicines can in some cases cause harm as well as benefit – everyone is different, so it’s important to check from time to time that your medicines are still right for you.
Do not
- Stop taking any prescribed medication without discussing with you GP or pharmacist first. Make sure you always take the right dose at the right time.
Did you know?
People on more than 10 medications are 300% more likely to be admitted to hospital because of an adverse drug reaction or side effect
What to do now
Check how many different medicines doctors have told you to take, either as a prescription or an over-the-counter item such as aspirin. Problems can happen with any number of medicines, but in general the more you take the greater the chance of an issue. The NHS recommends that anyone taking eight or more medicines should have a review every few years.
You can check your medicines on the NHS App to order their medicines and to highlight where they are being provided with medicines that they neither need nor want.
If your practice invites you for a medications review, say yes. If they haven’t invited you for one in the last couple of years, you can request one. If you think that any of your medicines are making you unwell, such as feeling tired, dizzy or putting you off your food, say so when making the appointment.
Keep taking your medicines until you have talked to your doctor or pharmacist about them.
Remember that it’s OK to ask at any time if you think your medicines are making you feel unwell or have any worries about them.
You can ask about your medicines when you collect them from the pharmacist, but they can’t change what you’ve been prescribed. Your doctor or practice pharmacist are the only ones who can change your prescription.
Resources
This report from Age UK goes into more detail about the harm that can be done by taking too many medicines (PDF).