BANGOR – With people living longer and taking a lot more medications as they do so, the need to keep accurate records of those medicines is a key to staying healthy.

That’s why Eastern Maine Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital and Penobscot Community Health Care have partnered to create a new patient safety tool to keep up-to-date lists of medicines that people can carry in their pockets.

The tool is called simply “my medication card” and is the size of a business card.

“It’s a very important tool,” Sister Mary Norberta, president and CEO of St. Joseph Healthcare, told a gathering of senior citizens and reporters Friday at the Hammond Street Senior Center.

There are instances where patients arrive at the hospital and do not know what type of medicines they are taking, she said.

“People will come in and say, ‘I take a blue pill in the morning, and a green pill at night,'” Norberta said. “It’s really a growing problem.”

The medication card is a foldout information sheet. It works this way: People, doctors or other medical personnel fill out information about prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and herbal supplements. It also has room to identify vaccinations, medications that cannot be taken and why, and allergies.

There also is room for emergency contact information, primary care doctors and other physicians the person sees and their pharmacy.

“We all take medications, but medications have some dangers” if not taken properly, or if mixed with different over-the-counter drugs and supplements, said the Rev. Robert Carlson, Penobscot Community Health Care president.

“As many as one in 10 hospital admissions is because of over-medication,” Norberta said.

Valeri Roy and Phyllis Pushard, both of Bangor, were two of the first seniors to pick up their medication cards during Friday’s event.

“I think this will be very helpful,” Pushard said.

Roy added, “I’ll carry that with me. I think it’s very handy.”

“Medicines are so prevalent … it is very good to have updated information,” said Deborah Carey Johnson, president and CEO of Eastern Maine Medical Center.

The medication cards will be available at all three medical facilities and doctor’s offices in the Bangor area.

They also may be acquired by visiting the Web sites of either Bangor hospital, www.emmc.org and www.stjoseph-me.org. Click on “your guide to medication safety.”

nricker@bangordailynews.net

990-8190