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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
Published on: November 9, 2016
Classic challenges and emerging approaches to medication therapy in older adults
Kannayiram Alagiakrishnan1, Darren Mah2, Raj Padwal3
1Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada.
Abstract:
Prescribing medications safely and effectively in older adults is a complex process. This review discusses challenges with medication prescribing in older adults and outlines a holistic approach to medication management in older adults. Well-known challenges including the alterations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics that often occur with aging are discussed. Other classic concerns including polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medication use, prescribing cascades, suboptimal prescribing, paradoxical harm and unintended consequences of medications, and drug interactions are reviewed. Newer approaches, including deprescribing, pharmacogenomics, and the future potential for senolytic therapy are also discussed. All healthcare providers should consider these challenges when prescribing medications in older adults. Choosing a drug that fits both a patient's pathophysiology and biology, avoiding drugs with significant side effects, titrating doses, and deprescribing are all critical in optimizing medication therapy.
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