Let’s Chat Meds: event raises awareness for medication safety

SCOTTSVILLE, Ky.- 75% of Americans 50 years of age or older take medication every day. 

But how many are taken properly?

On Tuesday, the Western Kentucky University Department of Nursing held the Let’s Chat Meds: Rural Education About Medication Safety event, or REAM for short, in Scottsville. 

Anyone in the community over 50 was invited to bring their prescription and over the counter medications to discuss taking them with an RN, nurse practitioner or pharmacist.

“You know sometimes you just don’t have the time to ask questions to your provider or if you’re like me you think of them about 10 minutes after you leave so it’s just nice to come in, maybe it’s been prescribed several years ago, and maybe you’ve forgotten things about it so it’s a good refresher,” said Elizabeth Groves, Assistant Professor for WKU Nursing. 

Nurses also screened the person’s blood pressure, oxygen and heart.

74-year-old Kenneth Smith said after having a heart attack in 2006, his health is a number one priority. 

“You need to check the correct medicine, you need a good physician and good medicine,” said Smith.

Another participant, John Mark Williams said it’s important to take charge of your own health.

“If you don’t, who will? You gotta take care of yourself, myself personally, I have health issues and two twin grandbabies and I wanna be around for a while to see them,” said Williams.

Participants filled out a survey and will return three weeks later for a follow up survey. The research determines how successful the one on one meetings went. 

“It’s definitely a concern in that rural population where sometimes you don’t have as quick of access to a provider if you live far out in the county or you don’t have reliable transportation maybe it’s just more challenging for you to get in to see somebody so that’s definitely things that we think about when we’re trying to look at projects like this,” said Groves.