Expert Column
Assistant Professor
Joseph A. Woelfel, PhD, RPh., FASCP, is the Director of Pharmaceutical Care Clinics and...read more
Articles In This Column
- Seniors, Are You Prepared for Swine Flu?
- What Adult Children Should Know About Senior Depression & Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Separating Fact from Fallacy: Is It Alzheimer's or Aging?
- Are Your Medications Putting You at Risk?
- The All-In-1 Pocket Guide to Healthy Choices
- Tablet Splitting: Saving Money or Causing Problems?
- Nintendo Wii: A Video Game That’s Good for You
- Medication & Risk Factors That Lead to Falls
- Side Effects of Common Medications & How They Affect the Aging Body
- How Aging and Medications Affect Our Bodies



A great post. Falls are a serious hazard for frail elderly.
Dr. Woelfel,
thanks for pointing this information out. for someone always concerned and trying to prevent any falls for my mom, this is a great resource. We've already had one fall and it's scary thinking of my mom at home. I'm heading over to check out her med list. i wonder if the drug companies put this information on the warnings section of their inserts?
thanks again!
LadyDar,
The manufacturer’s product insert or product information (PI) as it’s called does have this information in the warning or adverse event section of the brochure. Patients usually don’t receive the PI with their medication; however, PIs are available on the manufacturer’s website. So for example, if you know someone taking Cardural XL then they could visit their site to see what the warning and adverse reactions might be. Be aware that the information could also be listed under the headings of side effects or cautions. However your bottom line should be to always ask your pharmacist to tell you about the common side effects—and you should always specifically ask if a medicine can cause a fall.
Take care,
Dr. Joe Woelfel
very nice article..falls many times begin the downward spiral.