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Inappropriate medication use in the elderly
Darryl S Chutka1, Paul Y Takahashi, Robert W Hoel
1Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Essential Psychopharmacology
|February 8, 2006
Summary
Elderly patients often take multiple medications, increasing their risk for adverse drug effects. This review highlights medications posing higher harm risks in older adults and suggests safer alternatives.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- The elderly population frequently uses multiple medications due to effective treatments for various diseases.
- Physiological changes in older adults increase susceptibility to adverse drug effects and toxicity.
- Polypharmacy in the elderly necessitates careful medication review to prevent complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify medications with a high potential for causing harm in elderly patients.
- To inform prescribers about these high-risk medications.
- To recommend safer alternative medications for consideration in geriatric care.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on geriatric pharmacotherapy and adverse drug events.
- Identification of specific drug classes associated with increased risk in the elderly.
- Analysis of drug properties contributing to toxicity in older adults.
- Comparison of identified high-risk medications with safer alternatives.
Main Results:
- Certain medications pose a significantly greater risk of harm in elderly individuals.
- These high-risk drugs may require avoidance or cautious use with close monitoring.
- Safer pharmacological alternatives exist for many commonly prescribed medications in this population.
Conclusions:
- Prescribers must be aware of medications with high harm potential in the elderly.
- Minimizing or carefully managing high-risk medications is crucial for patient safety.
- Utilizing safer alternatives can improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce adverse events in older adults.