National Poison Prevention Week

All week long you are likely to hear public service announcements and news stories about National Poison Prevention week. Contrary to popular belief, this has less to do with preventing a reunion of the popular 80's hair band and more about protecting people from other, even more toxic substances.


The miracle of modern medicine has brought with it incredible advances in both longevity as well as quality of life. The phrase "70 is the new 60" is no longer just a cute quip on a Hallmark card but rather a realistic statement about the type of active lifestyles that seniors are increasingly able to lead. But just as Every Rose Has Its Thorn, powerful chemicals capable of saving and restoring lives naturally carry with them power to put people's lives in danger as well if they are not treated with the respect they require.

A senior's medicine cabinet is a treasure trove of potentially dangerous substances. As Life Goes On, aging adults find themselves taking an average of five different medications every day. Many medications will simply become ineffective after passing their expiration date. Other medications, such as eye drops, can become bacterial contaminants in as little as one month after opening. But there are other dangers lurking in the shadows of a senior's medicine cabinet.

Every day new medical discoveries change the landscape of medicine. Today, a new drug may give a senior and their family Something To Believe In. By next year, that same drug could be science's Fallen Angel; a medication with great promise but one whose peaks were not as substantial as its pitfalls. Vioxx and Celebrex are recent examples of drugs which have now been shown to lead to increased fatalities under certain conditions.

Another concern for drugs and their respective expiration dates is the environment in which the drugs are kept. Even a 10 degree rise in temperature has been shown to double the amount of chemical reactions in a medical product and can greatly accelerate the rate of bacterial contamination. Many times, seniors keep their homes at a much higher or lower temperature. Sometimes this temperature is intentionally chosen while other times it may be the result of an older HVAC unit. In either instance, the temperature in which the medication is stored can greatly increase the risks associated with seniors and their medication.

Aside from the direct risks posed to seniors there are risks for their families as well.
 

"Pharm Parties" have been on the rise among teenagers and college students for some time. Young adults who are looking for Nothin' But a Good Time raid their parent's and/or grandparent's medicine cabinets and throw each colorful pill into a big bowl which becomes the pharmacological centerpiece of the soiree.

Take a moment this week to go through the medicine cabinet with the senior in your life. You will probably be shocked at what you find.