After weeks of campaign visits and political ads, Wisconsinites had the chance to vote in the state primary election. Our guest reporters break down how residents voted, and discuss the impact of the results. We also look at a study that shows older Americans could be at risk for taking too many prescriptions that don’t mix, and get the latest on Wisconsin’s earned income tax credit.
Featured in this Show
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1 In 6 Older Americans Are At Risk Of Dangerous Medication Interactions
Researchers are warning older Americans about potentially dangerous drug interactions, as new research indicates that the hazardous combinations are more prevalent than previously recorded.
A new study shows that 1 in 6 older adults took a potentially dangerous combination of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and supplements in 2011. Dr. Dima Qato, one of the study’s authors and a professor of pharmacy at the University of Illinois-Chicago, said many of the interactions involved heart medication and increasingly popular supplements such as fish oil.
Qato said the health risks associated with interactions depend on the combination, but typically involve cardiovascular problems, including heart attack or stroke.
The findings mark a leap from what researchers found in 2005, when about 1 in 12 such adults were at risk of a dangerous drug interaction. The uptick, said Qato, is at least partly linked to increases in how many medications older Americans are taking overall.
“We found that over a five-year period, the use of five or more prescription drugs increased from about 30 percent to around 36 percent,” Qato said.
Qato suspects the alarming increase may be due to MediCare Part D, the federal program that subsidizes prescription drug costs, which has lead to more generic medications entering the market.
The medical community is not doing enough to prevent the life-threatening interactions, said Qato. But in addition, she said that patients also need to be forthcoming with their doctors by disclosing all the medications they’re taking.
“(Patients of their caregivers) should maintain a list of all the drugs they’re on and whenever they think they need to take a supplement or an over-the-counter drug, they should check with their pharmacist … and really seek information on the risks associated with taking these medications together with all the drugs they’re on,” Qato said.
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Older Americans Risk Serious Drug Interactions When Taking Multiple Medications
A recent study shows that 1 in 6 older adults takes a potentially dangerous combination of prescription medications, over the counter drugs, and supplements. We talk with one of the study’s authors about how to be a safe medication consumer.
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Here is What Happened at Wisconsin's April 5th Elections
All eyes were on Wisconsin on Tuesday when voters around the state headed to the polls amid two heated races, one for the presidential primary, and one for a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. Residents of Milwaukee also re-elected officials for city mayor and county board executive. WPR reporters join us and fill us in on the details of yesterday’s victories and losses.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
- Haleema Shah Producer
- Dr. Dima Qato Guest
- Shawn Johnson Guest
- Chuck Quirmbach Guest
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