About SMART Card Program

The SMART Card program was developed to educate seniors to take medications properly and to keep a record of the medications they use with them wherever they go in order to decrease unnecessary fatalities in the county and improve the health and well-being of seniors.

Older adults are particularly at risk from the consequences of  improper use of medication. 35 million older Americans are taking more than half of all of the prescription medicines dispensed nationwide. In the year 2000, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) noted that approximately 100,000 people die each year due to improper use of medications. Additionally, this problem costs billions of dollars per year in the United States. 

The Office on Aging initiative is designed to convene gatherings with seniors around the county to educate them on the importance of carrying SMART Cards that are properly filled out and updated as their medications change. Our agency will also inform and train seniors about the importance of asking questions and taking medications properly. This program is intended to help prevent needless pain and suffering to seniors, decrease physician and emergency room visits and hospitalization, and will help to curtail the tide of increasing health care costs associated with the improper use of medications. The overall goal is to improve the quality of life for seniors and their families.

For more information regarding the Smart Card call: 1-800-510-2020.