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Medication use in seniors: challenges and solutions
1Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Health Services and Outcomes Research Group, Montreal, Quebec.
Therapie
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Drug-related illness is a significant health problem, especially for the elderly, increasing with age and polypharmacy. Addressing medication risks requires targeting policy, patients, and physicians for optimal drug use.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Pharmacology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Medication use, both prescribed and over-the-counter, escalates with age.
- Drug-related illness is a major health concern, contributing to hospitalizations, ambulatory visits, and mortality, disproportionately affecting the elderly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors contributing to drug-related illness in patients.
- To explore the impact of prescribing habits and healthcare system policies on adverse drug events.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and analysis of factors influencing drug-related illness.
- Examination of drug classes commonly implicated in adverse events.
- Analysis of prescribing errors and healthcare system influences.
Main Results:
- Four key factors influence adverse drug effects: drug type, patient characteristics, physician prescribing habits, and healthcare system policies.
- Cardiovascular drugs, psychotropic drugs, and NSAIDs are frequently implicated.
- Increased number of prescribed drugs, polypharmacy, drug interactions, and non-compliance elevate risks.
- Prescribing errors contribute significantly to drug-related hospital admissions and events.
Conclusions:
- Optimal medication use necessitates interventions targeting healthcare policy, patient education, and physician prescribing practices.
- Improved information on drug risks and benefits, alongside addressing compliance and inappropriate prescribing, is crucial.