Related Experiment Videos
[Medicines and elderly patients: abuse, dependency or attraction?]
Pascal Menecier1, Laure Menecier-Ossia2
1Centre Hospitalier de Mâcon, boulevard Louis-Escande, 71018 Mâcon cedex, France; Institut de psychologie, Université Lyon 2, 5 avenue Pierre-Mendès-France, Campus Porte des Alpes, 69500 Bron, France.
Soins. Gerontologie
|February 23, 2017
Summary
Elderly individuals misuse psychotropic medications, often overlooking non-medicinal options. Prevention and careful prescription adherence are crucial for managing this issue in older populations.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Psychopharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Psychotropic medications are the second most abused substances by the elderly after alcohol.
- Misuse is often difficult for caregivers to identify as these are prescription-only drugs.
- Older adults may trivialize pharmaceutical drugs and overlook non-medicinal or psychotherapeutic treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the issue of psychotropic medication misuse in the elderly.
- To discuss the blurred boundaries between prescribed use, overuse, and addiction in this population.
- To emphasize the need for prevention and deprescription strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on psychotropic drug abuse in geriatrics.
- Analysis of factors contributing to misuse, including attitudes towards medication.
- Discussion of the challenges in differentiating between various levels of drug use.
Main Results:
- Elderly individuals exhibit a high susceptibility to psychotropic medication abuse.
- Misconception of pharmaceutical drugs and disregard for alternative treatments contribute to misuse.
- Clear distinctions between prescribed use, overuse, and addiction are often absent in older patients.
Conclusions:
- Prevention strategies, including adherence to geriatric prescription guidelines and deprescription, are essential.
- Addressing the trivialization of medications and promoting non-medicinal therapies are key.
- Withdrawal management and proactive prevention should be prioritized for elderly patients.