How can I take my medication if I can’t swallow?
How can I take my medication if I can’t swallow?
Posted by: Chris Palmer | October 06th, 2009 | Swallowing difficulties | 1 CommentAlthough swallowing difficulties can affect anyone, almost 60% of people over the age of 65 experience difficulties in swallowing capsules or tablets. If many of these people are not taking their medication then they can become seriously ill and may require hospitalisation. It is important to remember that the most expensive drugs for the NHS are those not being taken as they have no chance of improving the patients’ condition! This is a terrible drain on resources which could so easily have been prevented if a liquid medicine had been prescribed
Here at Rosemont we make a range of liquid alternatives for people who suffer with Dysphagia or just have difficulty in swallowing tablets and capsules. So if you are a patient, or are caring for a patient, don’t be afraid to tell your GP that you can’t swallow the tablets they have prescribed. You won’t get better if you don’t take your medicines and in so doing you could cost the NHS a great deal of money through unnecessary additional treatment. Ask your GP if there is a liquid version of your tablets or capsules available to take. Then you can carry on with your life, and on the road to recovery.
“It’s not that we don’t ask for liquids, its GP,s who will not prescribe, due to cost –i had a patient who was diagnosed with cardiac problems. Over a period of time the patient’s legs became severely oedematous and I consulted the doctor and requested a Frusemide liquid. Not for the first time he again refused.
I waited and contacted a doctor out of hours as I had been having no joy with her own doctor. When the doctor visited, he admitted her to hospital. The lady was put in the care of a consultant at the local hospital…
The nurse agreed if it was not for the out of hour’s doctor who admitted the patient to hospital where they put her on Frusemide it could have resulted in a more serious outcome.
On the patient’s return to the nursing home her legs had became ulcerated and required district nurses coming to the home to dress the wounds.
Consider: all the costs involved in going to hospital and wound care that it will cost the NHS.