Pill organizers could cause adverse effects among elderly

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/uoea-poc070416.php

Public Release: 5-Jul-2016
Pill organizers could cause adverse effects among elderly
University of East Anglia

Older people who switch to using pill organisers could experience adverse effects and even hospitalisation - according to research from the University of East Anglia.

New research published today reveals that people who switch from usual medication packaging to a pill organiser are more likely to become unwell than those not using them.

The research team say that patients should consult their GP or pharmacist before switching to a pill organiser.

Lead researcher Dr Debi Bhattacharya, from UEA's School of Pharmacy, said: "A lot of people use pill organisers to help them take the right medication at the right time of the day."

"We found that on average, when patients who had previously taken their medication sporadically were switched to a pill organiser, they took all of their medication and became unwell, whilst those who remained on usual medication packaging did not have any adverse effects.

"The fact that using a pill organiser could cause patients to experience adverse effects from their medication sounds rather counterintuitive."

"It is likely that because the patients had been taking their medication sporadically, they weren't getting the expected health improvements. The doctor may therefore have increased the dose of the medication to try to get the desired effect."

"When these patients were switched to a pill organiser and suddenly started taking more of their prescribed medication than previously, they experienced normal side effects of the medication."

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