Ireland's drug firms and pharmacists team up

The Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and the Irish Pharmacy Union have teamed up with Age Action Ireland to launch an educational campaign to help older people to use their drugs more safely. The move follows the release of survey results which indicate that seniors are between two and three times more likely to suffer an adverse effect to a medicine than younger adults.

The month-long campaign includes the publication of an information booklet available from pharmacies across Ireland. To improve treatment compliance, a medicines reminder chart for patients can be downloaded from the IPHA's web site (www.ipha.ie) and a national radio broadcast encourages older people to speak to their pharmacist about reviewing their medication.