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Among people over age 65, about one-fifth take
at least 10 medications a week. Because the body absorbs,
metabolizes, and rids itself of drugs more slowly with age, a dose
considered safe for a middle-age woman can be toxic to her parent.
In fact, the Institute of Medicine estimates that at least 1.5
million adverse drug events occur in the United States every year,
thousands of them fatal. Studies indicate that about one-third of
these drug reactions among senior citizens and 42 percent of
serious, life-threatening, or fatal events are preventable.
Doctors often mistake the ensuing physical response memory
lapse, fatigue, abdominal pain, swelling, or other ailments as a
sign of worsening disease. This can lead to a "prescribing
cascade."
The use of multiple, often unnecessary medications especially
among older people is an entrenched, escalating, frightening,
and mostly unexamined problem in modern health care. Although
medications can ease many conditions, multiple-drug use often
exacerbates existing ailments and causes troubling side effects
that are treated with yet more drugs.
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Medications Making You Sicker? >>>
Polypharmacy generally refers to the
use of multiple medications by a patient. The term is used when
too many forms of medication are used by a patient, more drugs
are prescribed than are clinically warranted, or even when all
prescribed medications are clinically indicated but there are
too many pills to take. The common result of polypharmacy is
increased adverse drug reactions and higher costs. Polypharmacy
is most common in the elderly.
Wikipedia
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Complete Guide to Prescription & Nonprescription
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