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Depression Part 3: Medication Related Problems
Demetra Antimisiaris1, Brittany McHolan2, Daniela Moga3
11University of Louisville, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky.
The Senior Care Pharmacist
|January 29, 2021
Summary
Managing psychoactive medications in older adults requires balancing efficacy and toxicity. High medication load increases hospitalization risk, particularly with antidepressants used for depression.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Pharmacology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Pharmacy
Background:
- Older adults often have complex health needs requiring multiple medications.
- Psychoactive medication use in the elderly is common for conditions like depression.
- Polypharmacy in older populations increases the risk of adverse drug events and hospitalizations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of avoiding toxicity alongside efficacy when prescribing psychoactive drugs to older individuals.
- To discuss medication-related problems associated with antidepressants in geriatric populations.
- To provide considerations for safe management of psychoactive medications in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on psychoactive medication use in older adults.
- Analysis of the relationship between medication load and hospitalization rates.
- Focus on the antidepressant pharmacological class for depression treatment in the elderly.
Main Results:
- Higher psychoactive medication load is linked to increased all-cause hospitalization rates and risks.
- Antidepressants are a key class of psychoactive drugs used for depression and comorbidities in older adults.
- Specific considerations are needed to mitigate medication-related problems with antidepressants in this demographic.
Conclusions:
- Balancing efficacy and toxicity is crucial for psychoactive medication management in older adults.
- Reducing medication load can decrease hospitalization risks.
- Careful selection and management of antidepressants are essential to avoid adverse events in the elderly.
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