Relevance of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Appropriate and rational use of drugs in the elderly is a matter of growing medical and social concern. The elderly as a group are particularly prone to adverse drug reactions. Such reactions have often been due to inappropriate drug prescribing, based on incomplete recognition and knowledge of changes in drug handling with age and pathological states associated with ageing. Recognition of such changes with modification of prescribing practice may lead to benefits by minimising the incidence of adverse drug reactions. This article discusses the current knowledge of age-related changes in drug absorption, distribution, clearance and sensitivity and some implications of these changes for clinical therapeutics in the elderly.