Poisoning of elderly people becomes an important public health issue because of the ageing population in Hong Kong . Elderly people are prone to poisoning by medicine. The reasons being:

1. Elderly people are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses

• Long term use of medicine may increase the risk of adverse drug reactions.
  

2. Multiple health problems and polypharmacy (multiple drug usage) are common among the elderly population

• The more medicine you take, the greater the likelihood of causing confusion in administration.
• The risk of drug interactions increases when more drugs are taken at the same time.
  

3. Elderly people undergo physiological changes which may decrease their ability tometabolize and eliminate medicine

• Elderly people are more prone to develop side-effects of certain medications e.g. antibiotics, sleeping pills, etc.

The followings are the advice on the use of western and Chinese medicine for the elderly population.

Western Medicine

DOs

• Follow the doctor's instructions while taking medications.
• Ask your doctor the right way to take the medicine prescribed.
• Read the labels carefully.
• Tell your doctor all the medications including herbal and over-the-counter products you are taking.
• Consult your doctor or pharmacist for information on adverse effects of medicine prescribed or purchased.

DON'Ts

• Stop or change the treatment without your doctor's advice.
• Take more than one medicine at the same time unless you have clarified this with your doctor or pharmacist.
• Share your medicine with others.
• Use medicine after the expiry date or if the appearance has changed.
• Break, crush or chew the tablets without the advice from your doctor or pharmacist.

Chinese medicine

DO's

• Follow the instructions of your Chinese medicine practitioner in preparing the Chinese medicine.
• Read carefully the labels on proprietary Chinese medicine or Chinese herbal medicine.
• Wash the pot for preparing herbal decoction thoroughly after each use.
• Request for your prescription form.

DON'T's

• Use prescriptions which are not developed for you including those circulated in the market.
• Drink strong tea or coffee with Chinese medicine.
• Overcook the Chinese medicine.
• Decoct burnt Chinese herbal medicine again.
• Eat food that is difficult to digest or irritating when taking Chinese medicine.

Important points to note:

• Store your medicine in a cool dry place and away from direct heat and light.
• Medicine should be kept out of reach of children. Always store your medicine in locked cabinets.
• Read the instructions on your medicine carefully.
• Keep your medicine in their original containers.
• Seek advice from doctor, pharmacist or Chinese medicine practitioner if in doubt.
• Stop the medicine immediately and seek medical advice if you do not feel well after taking the medicine.

In Case of Suspected Poisoning:

• Keep calm;
• Seek your doctor's advice immediately;
• Call 999 emergency hotline immediately if the condition is serious, or the person is not arousable or is not breathing.

This publication is produced by the Hong Kong Poison Control Network.