Baltimore Sun Examines Medicine Mismanagement Among Elderly U.S. Residents

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice;  Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 11 Mar 2008 - 12:00 PDT

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About half of all U.S. seniors have improperly managed at least one prescription medication, and seniors are twice as likely as others to be admitted to an emergency department for drug safety issues, according to some experts, the Baltimore Sun reports.

According to a 2006 analysis by Medco Health Solutions, the drug error rate of patients over age 65 is about seven times more than patients younger than 65. The analysis also found that one in four elderly patients were prescribed medications by five or more physicians and one in 20 patients received prescriptions from eight or more physicians.

According to experts, people older than 65 represent 13% of the U.S. population and about one-third of all the drugs prescribed in the country. By 2040, an estimated 25% of U.S. residents will be age 65 or older, and their prescription drug use also will rise to about half of what is prescribed nationally.

According to the Sun, the increasing population of aging baby boomers is one reason for the "growing problem" of medication mismanagement among U.S. seniors who take medications to treat chronic illnesses. Poor eyesight among seniors and misunderstandings about multiple doses and physician instructions could result in treatment plan mix-ups. Seniors also are more likely to experience the problems related to prescription drugs because their bodies' process medications differently than younger people.

According to the Sun, many doctors have been asking patients to bring all their medications to appointments to help prevent negative drug interactions. There also has been a push for physicians to adopt electronic health records so that all doctors can see what their patients are taking, according to George Lowe, director of medical services at Overlea Physicians medical clinic (White, Baltimore Sun, 3/9).

Antipsychotic Drugs To Help Dementia
In related news, the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Sunday examined how thousands of nursing care facilities for elderly people in the U.S. are "using powerful antipsychotic drugs to quiet disruptive people with dementia," which sometimes is "a step that's easier and cheaper than taking staff time to fix the problem." According to the Star Tribune, Medicaid officials in 2007 asked state nursing home inspectors to "crack down" on "use of unnecessary or inappropriate medications," which is a violation of federal rules. Antipsychotic drugs -- which are prescribed for about 30% of all nursing home residents -- are the most-prescribed drug paid for by Medicaid, the Star Tribune reports (Wolfe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 3/9).

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