Just One Pill

Angie Szumlinski
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June 27, 2024
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We all do it, we see an ad on the television that promises the fountain of youth, right? Yep, everything from pulverized vegetables to fish oil, the promises are endless! So, what should we be doing to maintain a healthy body and mind? Unfortunately, many of these supplements do not require FDA approval and are not overseen/monitored for cleanliness, accuracy of dosage, efficacy, etc.

In a recent trial called “COSMOS” (Cocoa supplement and Multivitamins Outcome Study), older adults were randomly assigned to a daily multivitamin supplement (Centrum Silver) or a placebo and were evaluated annually with an internet-based battery of neuropsychological tests for 3 years. At the end of the study, participants who were assigned to the multivitamin had significantly better recall at one year. The study concluded that daily multivitamin supplementation improves memory in older adults.

It might be a good time to bring your pharmacy consultant and medical director into your QAPI committee meeting to discuss the risk/benefits of adding a multivitamin to the drug regimen for a select group of residents. Maybe identify a handful of residents who seem to be experiencing an increase in memory loss or have a new onset of poor judgment, increased falls, etc. Maybe there will be no change in a year or maybe there will. You may also be able to discontinue individual supplements like calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium (which is a big one being used today) as most senior multivitamins contain these! Look, it can’t hurt and what an inexpensive way to improve quality of life! Stay well and stay informed!