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Page 1 of 2 If you look it up in the dictionary, the definition of “disaster waiting to happen” should be: “self-medication by our loved ones.” 
Imagine my horror when my dad proudly announced to the doctor that he found a simpler way to take his morning, afternoon and evening pills for congestive heart failure. He simply took all of them at lunch time to be more efficient! Of course, we were having that conversation in the emergency room of the hospital…
In case you think this is a fluke, I must tell you that the incorrect taking of medicines, as well as the “I stopped taking it because I don’t need it” syndrome, are two of the greatest causes of medical emergencies and hospitalizations in our country! Our family's solution was a wonderfull pill dispenser with a timer. Once a week, I would load the dispenser in the apprpriate compartments with the various medications my father had to take. Each day, the device rang and dispensed the appropriate medications for that time of day. 
Not only did I sleep better at night, I spent way less time pacing the floor in the hospital emergency room. On average, seniors self-medicate with five different drugs, a recipe for disaster. Have you had a similar brush with pharmeceutical castrophe? How are you handling it?
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