This disturbing investigation by CNN of the off label use of a medication on nursing home patients reinforces the responsibility of caregivers to know the names, dosages and the “exact medical reason” for each medication the older family member is taking. This not something caregivers can ignore or outsource, and is also something they should be doing with their own medications…
“The maker of a little red pill intended to treat a rare condition is raking in hundreds of millions of dollars a year as it aggressively targets frail and elderly nursing home residents for whom the drug may be unnecessary or even unsafe,?a CNN investigation has found.
Here is a simple form that caregivers can use to profile and keep an up to date census of the medications their aging parents are taking. Feel free to make copies and share it with anyone who finds it useful…