Are Older Adults Prescribed Inapproppriate Medications?
04 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
Rates of inappropriate medications prescribed to older adults vary between 29% and 75% of older adults. For example in a study of older adults in HMO’s 29% received medications defined as ‘inappropriate’ and 5% received medications defined as treatments that older adults should ‘always avoid”. Approx. two fifth (40%) of frail elderly hospitalized patients had one or more potential adverse effects of medications. Studies conducted within the Veteran’s Health Care System found that between 44% and 75% of older adults were prescribed at least one unnecessary medication. Among the most common drugs involved in ADE’s include anticholinergic medications (e.g. Benedryl), digoxin, calcium channel blockers, antiarrhythmics, oral hypoglycemic agents, psychoactive medications, warfarin phenytoin and theophylline.
