Neel will be back in Griffin before suppertime, where he’ll finish the written report that he promised Ruby Gifford before leaving for a weeklong vacation with his wife, children and grandchildren. He doesn’t yet know that Gifford’s physician will be angered by her decision to seek out his help and will refuse even to read Neel’s 17-page report.
So Armon Neel soon will help Gifford find a new doctor. He isn’t one to pass the buck.
"I’ve always gotten along well with old people," he says. "They’ve always been special to me."
A mischievous smile breaks. "And I really like ’em now, ’cause I’m one of ’em."
Postscript: Ruby Gifford died in September 2010 at age 92, six years after Neel helped her find a new doctor. The nursing home resident with advanced Parkinson’s died in early 2011 at age 81. All the other people in the article are living as of July 2011. As part of his work, Neel still fills out pink suggestion slips for each nursing home resident whose charts he reviews; he recently passed the 400,000 mark.
Bill Hogan is a journalist and producer with AARP.org. He and Armon B. Neel Jr., PharmD., CGP, are co-authors of Are Your Prescriptions Killing You?, to be published next year by Atria Books. Neel and Hogan also collaborate on the advice column Ask the Pharmacist (see below).
Ask the Pharmacist
Armon B. Neel Jr. writes about the safe use of medication in his Ask the Pharmacist column for AARP. — Marc Asnin/Redux
If there's a medication-related topic you would like to learn more about, tell us by sending an email to askthepharmacist@aarp.org.
For inquiries about a specific drug usage, please include the age, height, weight and race/ethnicity of the person taking the medication, as well as the product names and dosages of all prescription and over-the-counter medications being used. (If your question is chosen for the online column, identifying details will not be used.)
While the Ask the Pharmacist column encourages input from readers, pharmacist Armon B. Neel Jr. PharmD., CGP, is unable to individually answer questions or provide personalized medical advice. Information provided by the online column is intended to help individuals and their families become more informed about medication usage and interactions, and be better health care consumers.
Any advice or information provided through the Ask the Pharmacist column should not be followed in lieu of a personal consultation with a trained medical professional.
(For resources about how you can find a "senior care" or consultant pharmacist in your area, see the box on page 4.)
You may also like: 9 types of medication older adults should use with caution. >
Tell Us WhatYou Think
Please leave your comment below.
You must be signed in to comment.
Sign In | RegisterMore comments »