Medication Literacy Series
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Many older adults have adequate medication literacy— the ability to obtain patient-specific medication information, process received information, and make medication decisions. They have the skills necessary to safely and effectively use their medications, regardless of the mode by which the content is delivered (i.e., written, oral, or visual). However, more than one third of older adults have limited literacy, meaning that they may not have the facility, language, or knowledge to accurately take their prescribed medications. As a result, they can face increased or unnecessary health and economic costs.
The Public Policy Institute is engaging on this important subject. Researchers, providers, insurers and policy makers all have a role to play in improving the medication literacy of consumers, including older adults, and helping them attain the skills necessary to maintain good health.
Papers
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Medication Management
“Medication management” is an inclusive term that describes the motivations and means that individuals use to coordinate their medication regimens accurately.
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Generic Drugs
Generic drugs, the lower-cost versions of brand-name drugs that enter the market after a brand-name drug’s monopoly period ends, have come to assume a growing portion of the US drug market.
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Prescription Drug Container Labels
Prescription drug container labels are the consumer-facing information affixed to the drug containers (e.g., pill bottles, vials, inhalers, blister packs).
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Medication Literacy
Medication literacy is the degree to which individuals can obtain, comprehend, communicate, calculate, and process patient-specific information about their medications.
Videos
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Medication Management
The ability to reconcile multiple medications, coordinating the use of prescription medications with over-the-counter drugs. This set of behaviors, which guide appropriate medication use, is commonly known as medication management.
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Generic Drugs
Policies and practices that help older adults recognize the value of generics drugs and communicate with providers about the possibility of generic and biosimilar substitution would help eliminate generic drug access barriers.
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Prescription Drug Container Labels
Prescription drug container labels are particularly meaningful for older adults, who take a significant portion of the 4 billion prescriptions Americans fill every year.
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Essential for Older Adults
A greater focus on medication literacy can help improve older adults’ medication decision making and potentially reduce both health and financial costs.
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Long-Term Services & Supports State Scorecard
A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers
Aging Demographics
One in Three Americans is Now 50 or Older
By 2030, one out of every five people in the United State will be 65-plus. Will your community be ready?
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