If you’ve reached a certain age, chances are there are a lot of pill bottles lurking in your medicine cabinet. Some may be old and expired and you just don’t know how to get rid of them. Others may be over-the-counter meds for pain or allergy relief. And others may have been prescribed by various physicians, who may or may not realize the range of meds you otherwise take. No wonder, then, that a recent piece by Jane Brody in The New York Times called this The Hidden Drug Epidemic Among Older People, with estimates being that people in their 60s take an average of 15 different prescription medications per year, and for those over 80, the number jumps to 18. And that doesn’t count the vitamins, supplements and other substances we may take without a physician’s involvement or knowledge. 

There’s no doubt then that many of us, in the name of good health, may actually be putting ourselves at serious risk. As a starter, take a look at this chart of medications that you may want to avoid, due to risks or side effects, as an older person. And pay attention, either for yourself or as a family caregiver, to the movement called “deprescribing,” which is the examination of all current medications a patient is taking to determine whether some can be stopped or are unnecessary, given the patient’s medical condition, not to mention the hassles and costs involved. And, if you’re having trouble keeping track of all those medications and want to discuss them with your primary physician, take a look at this simple NIA-developed medication worksheet which should help guide the conversation.

But for medications that are necessary or even essential it’s important to take them according to your doctor’s recommendation. Yet for some of us, it’s not the medication itself that’s the problem, it’s the swallowing of it that gets us in trouble. If you’re having trouble getting that pill down the hatch, pour yourself a glass of water and read some swallowing tips here. And if cutting or crushing your pills proves to be a viable alternative to swallowing them whole (always ask your pharmacist about this), then take a look at some tools to help you, including this well-reviewed pill-splitter on Amazon.