Assistance With Self-Medication

GLOSSARY

• Drug Interaction - Alteration of a drug's effects by the prior or concurrent administration of another drug (drug-drug interactions) or by food (drug-food interactions). A drug interaction results in an increase or decrease in the effects of one drug or both drugs. Patients frequently and unknowingly take several different products that contain the same drug thereby increasing the risk of adverse effects.
• Medication Assistance - Providing assistance to the resident to take their own medication safely and on time.
• Side Effect - An action or effect of a drug other than that desired. Commonly it is an undesirable effect such as nausea, headache, insomnia, rash, confusion, dizziness, or an unwanted drug-drug interaction.