Prescription drugs present a plethora of risks for anyone who takes them. Are the pills actually the same as the medicine that was prescribed? Do they conflict with other medications? How can a person be sure he or she is taking their medicine correctly?

Medications also present financial burdens. Even with insurance medicine can be expensive, especially long-term prescriptions that have to be refilled frequently.

All of the general problems that prescription drugs present are amplified when senior citizens are involved. First, senior citizens are more likely than others to be taking several medications at one time. As a result they are at a higher risk for conflicts between medicines. When people get older they tend to suffer from more health problems. Not only can these problems result in a person having to take more medications, they can make it more difficult to take medicines correctly. If a person’s vision gets worse it is harder to read dosages and the names of prescriptions. If their memory suffers a little, they may forget a bit of what the doctor has said. If their hearing fails, they may miss some vital instructions about how to take their medicine.

In addition, seniors tend to have extra financial troubles because they are retired. While not all senior citizens are incapable of working or are medically disabled, there is a larger group of people in this age class who can’t work or who need additional help in their day-to-day lives.

Because of the many problems medications present, people in general and seniors in particular are cutting back on the medications they take. Sometimes rather than pay a lot for a prescription and assume additional risk, a person opts not to take it at all. This is unhealthy and presents a lot of risks. Rather than skipping medications, it is important for a person to make sure they are doing everything they can to get the best price they can for the highest quality medication and to be sure they are taking their medications correctly.