Pharmacological considerations in older adults

The older adult population--those age 65 years and over--continues to increase in numbers and will comprise a large segment of optometric practices in the future. As the prevalence of ocular and systemic disease escalates with age, older adults will utilize more pharmaceutical agents than their younger counterparts. The increase in chronic systemic disease, ocular disease, and polymedicine which accompanies aging contributes to the higher incidence of adverse reactions present in this age group. The optometrist who is knowledgeable in the adverse reactions associated with the common ocular and systemic drugs utilized by geriatric patients will provide both better optometric care and systemic health care screening to his or her patients. This paper discusses the factors contributing to adverse reactions in the elderly and some of the common ocular and systemic medications and their associated side effects which are utilized by the older population.