Drug interactions
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Heath Ledger’s death from an accidental overdose has created headlines, however, the actor’s situation is not at all uncommon.
Michael Smith, clinical coordinator for Backus Hospital’s pharmacy department, said 28 percent of all emergency rooms nationwide are caused by drug interactions. It is also estimated that 1 in 4 hospitalizations of senior citizens are related to medication issues. The culprit is often multiple drugs prescribed by multiple physicians who are unaware of a patient’s other medications, Smith said.
“The pharmacist is the only one who gets the complete list of medication,’ Smith said. “It’s their job to ensure the medications are appropriate to take together.”
Ledger’s autopsy revealed the actor was taking six drugs that all could suppress the repository system. The cocktail of drugs created a perfect storm to kill the 28-year-old, the autopsy showed. Ledger did not have the benefit of having all the prescriptions go through the same pharmacy.
Smith said unfortunately many people use multiple pharmacies. Pharmacists have no way to track a patient’s prescriptions outside their own store of chain, he said. Even when the same pharmacist is used, patients forget to tell the pharmacist of any over-the-counter drugs or supplements they are taking.
“A lot of people think because it’s a natural supplement it’s completely safe and it’s the same thing with over-the-counter drugs,” Smith said.
The two most popular over-the-counter drugs, Tylenol and Advil, can cause serious problems, such as liver failure with Tylenol and intestinal bleeding with ibuprofen, if taken inappropriately, Smith said.
Patients should never assume because medications are for very different ailments that they cannot affect one another, Smith said. It is often the side effects that cause the most trouble, he said. But taking multiple drugs without alerting a pharmacist can cause other problems, too.
“There can also be a lot of waste and duplication of therapies,” Smith said. “You could be making your medications ineffective and you’re wasting your money and increasing your risk of problems.”
The pharmacists of Backus Hospital are hosting a “Brown Bag Medication Program” Feb. 20 to review peoples’ medications.
The event, designed to help people identify potential medication interaction issues and help them maximize the benefits they receive from their medications, will be held from 7:30-11:30 a.m. in Backus Hospital’s entry-level conference rooms. The program is free but registration is required by calling 823-6374.