A survey suggests that nearly half of older adults in the U.S. use prescription and over-the-counter medications together, and that about four percent of older adults are potentially at risk of an adverse drug reaction because of an interaction between medications, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA. The researchers also found that nearly 30 percent use at least five prescription medications.
Rates of prescription medication use have increased considerably over the last several decades, as have the rates of use of over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements. Older adults are the largest per capita consumers of prescription medications and the most at risk for medication-related adverse events, according to background information in the article.
"One recent report estimated that U.S. adults older than 65 years make more than 175,000 emergency department visits annually for adverse drug events; commonly prescribed medications accounted for one-third of these events," note the researchers. "Our findings suggest that concurrent use of prescription and nonprescription medications in older adults remains a public health problem and could be an important focal point for further improvements in drug safety for seniors."
Read the abstract.
