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.acv-opsrow{grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr}}</style><div class="acv-root"><p class="acv-dek">More than 90 percent of adults over 65 take at least one prescription, and two thirds take more than three a month. A medication review is how you find out which ones you still need.</p><p class="acv-meta">Ageless Coach Editorial Team · August 28, 2026</p><div class="acv-glance"><div class="acv-gt">In 30 Seconds</div><div class="acv-item"><b>The scale is bigger than most people think.</b> Over 90 percent of adults over 65 take at least one prescription medication, and more than 66 percent take more than three a month. <span class="acv-s">Cleveland Clinic</span></div><div class="acv-item"><b>Some side effects look exactly like aging.</b> Memory difficulties, dizziness and sleepiness can be caused by medication rather than by getting older. Ask whether any new problem could be the drugs. <span class="acv-s">FDA</span></div><div class="acv-item"><b>One question does most of the work.</b> At every visit, tell your providers about every prescription, over-the-counter medicine and supplement, and ask if you still need to be on all your medications. <span class="acv-s">NIA</span></div></div><div class="acv-body"><p class="acv-dropcap">A medication review is a single appointment where a provider goes through everything you take and decides what you still need.</p><p>Your liver and kidneys process drugs more slowly with age, so a dose that worked for years can start doing more than it used to. Adding drugs is easy and reviewing them almost never happens by itself.</p><p>Here are the six questions to ask, the one list that makes the visit work, and the side effects that get mistaken for getting older.</p><div class="acv-band"><div class="acv-inner"><div class="acv-big">1</div><div><div class="acv-q">The Questions</div><h3>Six Questions That Change What You Walk Out With</h3></div></div></div><p>A review is not a complaint. It is a scheduled look at whether each medicine is still earning its place.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/medicines-and-medication-management/taking-medicines-safely-you-age" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Institute on Aging</a> publishes the questions to bring. These six do the most work.</p><ol class="acv-signlist"><li><b>What medical condition does this medicine treat?</b> If you cannot answer this for every bottle in the cabinet, the review has already earned its slot.</li><li><b>Do I still need to be on all of these?</b> NIA says to ask this at every visit, alongside telling your providers about every new prescription, over-the-counter medicine and supplement.</li><li><b>Will this cause problems with anything else I take?</b> That includes over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies, including ones you use only occasionally.</li><li><b>What side effects should I expect, and what do I do about them?</b> Write them down as they happen so you can report them accurately rather than from memory.</li><li><b>Is it safe to stop this abruptly?</b> NIA puts this on the list for a reason. Some medicines are unsafe to stop suddenly, so the answer decides how any change happens.</li><li><b>Is there a less expensive alternative?</b> Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, are of equal strength and quality, and are usually cheaper and more likely to be covered.</li></ol><div class="acv-billboard"><div class="acv-n">90%</div><div class="acv-d">More than 90 percent of adults over age 65 take at least one prescription medication, and more than 66 percent take more than three prescriptions a month.</div><div class="acv-c">Source: Cleveland Clinic</div></div><p>The pharmacist answers a second set: whether it is safe to drive on it, whether to take it with food, what as needed actually means, and what to do about a missed dose.</p><p>Filling everything at one pharmacy is what makes those answers reliable, because it puts your whole record in one place.</p><div class="acv-band"><div class="acv-inner"><div class="acv-big">2</div><div><div class="acv-q">The List</div><h3>The One Page That Makes the Visit Actually Work</h3></div></div></div><p>Both NIA and the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-medication-safety-tips-older-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FDA</a> give the same instruction, and it is the least glamorous item here: write it all down.</p><p>The list holds every medicine you take, including over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and dietary supplements. For each one: the name, the amount you take, and when you take it. For prescriptions, add who prescribed it and why.</p><figure><img src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/8580738/pexels-photo-8580738.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1400&h=560&fit=crop" alt="Hands sorting tablets into the compartments of a weekly pill organizer on a table"><figcaption>A weekly organizer keeps the doses straight. The written list is what keeps the prescribing straight.</figcaption></figure><p>Keep one copy at home and one with you, in a wallet, purse or phone, and show it to every provider you see, including physical therapists and dentists.</p><p>NIA adds a detail worth copying: learn the active ingredients, so you do not take two products that contain the same one.</p><div class="acv-pullquote"><p>Some medications can cause side effects that mimic other health problems, such as memory difficulties, dizziness and sleepiness.</p><div class="acv-who">FDA</div></div><div class="acv-capture ac-capture" data-state="trigger" id="cap" data-article-slug="too-many-medications-6-questions-to-ask-and-the-1-list-your-doctor-needs" data-pdf-url="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69be1026a027224999b7936b/6a918555d20706d8b60688db_too-many-medications-6-questions-to-ask-and-the-1-list-your-doctor-needs-plan.pdf" data-plan-title="The Medication Review Plan" data-plan-desc="The 6 questions to ask, the list your doctor needs, and the side effects that get mistaken for aging. Checked against NIA, FDA and Cleveland Clinic."><div class="st-trigger cap-state"><div class="acv-cap-grid"><div><h4>Take the medication review sheet with you</h4><p class="acv-sub">The whole picture on one printable sheet: the 6 questions, the list that makes the visit work, and the side effects worth naming out loud. Free, unlocked right here.</p><button class="acv-bigbtn" type="button" data-cap="form">📄 Print My Plan (Free PDF)</button><div class="acv-fine">Joins the free weekly Ageless Brief. Unsubscribe anytime.</div></div><div class="acv-chartcard" aria-hidden="true"><div class="acv-ch-mast">MEDICATION REVIEW: QUESTIONS AND NEXT STEPS</div><div class="acv-ch-sub">AGELESS COACH · CHECKED AGAINST NIA · FDA · CLEVELAND</div><div class="acv-ch-cols"><div class="acv-ch-col"><div class="acv-ch-h acv-ok">✓ DO THIS</div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-ok"></div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-ok acv-short"></div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-ok"></div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-ok acv-short"></div></div><div class="acv-ch-col"><div class="acv-ch-h acv-no">✗ DO NOT</div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-no"></div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-no acv-short"></div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-no"></div><div class="acv-ch-row acv-no acv-short"></div></div></div><div class="acv-ch-band"></div></div></div></div><div class="st-form cap-state"><h4>Enter your email to unlock your plan</h4><p class="acv-sub">Your 1-page medication review plan, unlocked right here.</p><form class="capform"><input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Your email address" aria-label="Email address" required><button type="submit">Unlock My Plan (Free)</button></form><div class="acv-fine">No spam. One short evidence brief each week. Unsubscribe anytime.</div></div><div class="st-sent cap-state"><div class="acv-sent-check">✓</div><h4>Your plan is ready</h4><p class="acv-sub">Download or print it below. Save it anywhere.</p><a class="dl" href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69be1026a027224999b7936b/6a918555d20706d8b60688db_too-many-medications-6-questions-to-ask-and-the-1-list-your-doctor-needs-plan.pdf" download>⬇ Download your plan (PDF)</a><div class="acv-fine">Your first Ageless Brief arrives this week: one study, translated, no hype.</div></div></div><div class="acv-band"><div class="acv-inner"><div class="acv-big">3</div><div><div class="acv-q">The Blind Spot</div><h3>When the Side Effect Gets Blamed on Getting Older</h3></div></div></div><p>This is the part that costs people years of unnecessary decline. A drug causes fogginess or unsteadiness, and everyone in the room calls it age.</p><p>The FDA names the three that get mislabeled most: memory difficulties, dizziness and sleepiness. Its instruction is to ask whether any new problem you are experiencing could be caused by your medications.</p><figure><img src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/7108327/pexels-photo-7108327.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1400&h=560&fit=crop" alt="A clinician writing notes at a desk while sitting with a patient in a consultation room"><figcaption>A review is a scheduled conversation, not a complaint. Bring the list and the timeline.</figcaption></figure><div class="acv-billboard"><div class="acv-n">3 years</div><div class="acv-d">The American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria lists medications that may be inappropriate for adults over 65, and the list is revised every three years.</div><div class="acv-c">Source: Cleveland Clinic</div></div><p>Providers already have a reference for this. The <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24946-beers-criteria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland Clinic</a> explains the Beers Criteria as a list of medications with side effects that can outweigh their benefit in people over 65.</p><p>You do not need to memorise it. You need to ask whether anything you take is on it.</p><div class="acv-band acv-hype"><div class="acv-inner"><div class="acv-big">✗</div><div><div class="acv-q">The Debunk</div><h3>Three Medication Beliefs Worth Dropping Today</h3></div></div></div><p>Three corrections worth carrying into the appointment.</p><p><strong>If it worked for years, it is still right.</strong> Not automatically. The FDA is direct that even if your medications have worked well for you over the years, they might need to be adjusted or changed later in life, because the liver and kidneys handle drugs differently with age.</p><p><strong>Stopping a drug is my call to make.</strong> It is a shared one. NIA says not to stop a medicine because of uncomfortable side effects before talking with a provider, and asking whether it is safe to stop abruptly is one of the questions to bring.</p><p><strong>Supplements do not count as medications.</strong> They do here. NIA says it can be dangerous to combine certain prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, supplements and other remedies, and to mention everything, even ones you use infrequently.</p><div class="acv-plan ac-plan" id="coach-recommendations"><div class="acv-ptitle"><span class="acv-ico">📋</span>Your Coach's Recommendations</div><div class="step"><div class="acv-n">1</div><div><div class="sh">Write the one list before you book anything.</div><div class="sd">Every prescription, over-the-counter medicine, vitamin and supplement, with the name, the amount, when you take it, who prescribed it and why. Keep one copy at home and one with you.</div></div></div><div class="step"><div class="acv-n">2</div><div><div class="sh">Book the visit as a medication review.</div><div class="sd">Say those words when you book. NIA says to ask at every visit whether you still need to be on all your medications, and a review is the appointment where that question gets a real answer.</div></div></div><div class="step"><div class="acv-n">3</div><div><div class="sh">Name any new fogginess, dizziness or sleepiness out loud.</div><div class="sd">The FDA lists those three as side effects that mimic other health problems. Say when each started and what changed around that time, and ask directly whether a medicine could be the cause.</div></div></div><div class="acv-pdiv"></div><button class="acv-calbar" type="button" data-ac-cal>📅 Add <i>Your Coach's Recommendations</i> to Your Calendar <span class="acv-qm">?</span></button><div class="acv-opsrow"><button type="button" data-ac-share>⇮ Share</button><button type="button" data-ac-savepdf>📄 Save PDF</button><button type="button" data-ac-print>🖨 Print</button></div></div><div class="acv-sig"><p class="acv-toyour">To your health,</p><div class="acv-row"><svg class="acv-glyph" viewBox="0 0 40 40" aria-hidden="true"><circle cx="20" cy="20" r="18" fill="none" stroke="#0D1B2A" stroke-width="3"/><path d="M13 28 L20 11 L27 28 M16 22 H24" fill="none" stroke="#0D1B2A" stroke-width="3" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg><p class="acv-name">Ageless Coach</p></div><p class="acv-tag">Age Strong. Live Long.</p></div><div class="acv-trust"><div class="acv-t">Trusted Sources Behind This Article</div><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/medicines-and-medication-management/taking-medicines-safely-you-age" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Institute on Aging</a><a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-medication-safety-tips-older-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FDA</a><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24946-beers-criteria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland Clinic</a></div><p class="acv-disclaimer">This article is education, not medical advice. Never stop or change a prescription on your own; that decision belongs with the provider who prescribed it.</p><div class="acv-faq"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2><details><summary>How do I ask my doctor to review all my medications?</summary><div class="acv-a">Say it plainly when you book: you would like a medication review. Bring the written list of everything you take, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements. NIA says to tell providers about all of it at every visit and to ask whether you still need to be on all your medications.</div></details><details><summary>Is it safe to just stop a medicine that is bothering me?</summary><div class="acv-a">No, not on your own. NIA says that if you have uncomfortable side effects you should not stop taking your medicine before talking with a provider, and lists whether it is safe to stop abruptly as one of the questions to ask. Write the side effects down so you can report them accurately.</div></details><details><summary>Could my memory problems be the medication?</summary><div class="acv-a">It is worth asking. The FDA says some medications cause side effects that mimic other health problems, including memory difficulties, dizziness and sleepiness, and advises asking whether any new problems could be caused by your medications. It is a question, not a diagnosis.</div></details><details><summary>How many medications is too many?</summary><div class="acv-a">There is no single number, which is why the review matters more than the count. Cleveland Clinic reports that over 90 percent of adults over 65 take at least one prescription and more than 66 percent take more than three a month. NIA calls the use of multiple drugs polypharmacy and a growing concern for older adults.</div></details><details><summary>What is the Beers list?</summary><div class="acv-a">It is a reference your provider may already use. Cleveland Clinic describes the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria as a list of medications that are potentially inappropriate for adults over 65, because their side effects can outweigh the benefit. It is revised every three years.</div></details><details><summary>Does grapefruit juice really matter?</summary><div class="acv-a">Yes, and the FDA uses it as its own example. It notes that even common foods and drinks can cause serious interactions, and names grapefruit juice as one that can affect how well some medicines work and may cause dangerous side effects. Alcohol is the other one it flags.</div></details></div><div class="acv-secondary">Wondering where you stand overall? <a href="/#assessment">Take the free 5-minute Healthspan Snapshot</a> and see your strongest and weakest of six dimensions.</div></div></div>
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