Medicines and elderly people: a general practice survey.

Abstract

SummaryAll 151 patients of 75 years and over in one practice were visited at home to survey their health and how they managed their medicines. Altogether 870o were on regular treatment, 3411O taking three or four different drugs each day. Most were responsible for their own drugs and managed them well, but many left their drugs in exposed places and were uncertain about how to dispose of unwanted medicines. Overall they were prescribed about three times the number of drugs prescribed for the general population, and women took twice as many drugs regularly as men. Although many drugs were obtained directly from a pharmacist, his advice was rarely sought. Most were labelled, but more explicit instructions about indications for taking the drug would have been helpful, and information about hoarded drugs would have been enhanced by dispensing and expiry dates. Treatment was facilitated when patients brought their drugs to the consultation and careful records were made of repeat prescriptions. As so many patients take three or more different types of drugs each day a container in which a day's supply could be laid out would be useful.

The elderly and their medication: understanding and compliance in a family practice

“…-3This represents more than three times as many drugs as in the general population. 4 Department of Health data show a 27% increase between 1977 and 1985 in the average number of prescribed drugs taken by each person of pensionable age.2…”

“…This has implications in view of the greater susceptibility of women to adverse drug reactions" and their greater tendency to hoard drugs. 4 Medicines prescribed were classified as in the British National Formulary except that aspirin was grouped along with analgesic drugs in the central nervous system (CNS) section, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with antirheumatic compounds (see table 1). Also shown for comparison is the distribution according to number of drug items prescribed for the whole practice population in the most recent quarterly level one PACT (Prescribing Analysis and Cost) figures, sent by the Prescription Pricing Authority.…”

Psychotropic drug use in elderly people with and without dementia

“…The high rate of prescribing and use of psychotropic drugs in the elderly have been ascribed to an increased prevalence of psychiatric disturbances in this group (Law and Chalmers, 1976;Rovner et al, 1990;Skoog et al, 1993;Spore et al, 1996). These are expected to continue with an ever growing elderly population.…”

Nutrition and the elderly

“…If body stores are limited, the infection results in a negative nitrogen balance that, if protracted, leads to immunocompetence and as a result affects the person's recovery andjor future susceptibility to infection. 1 …”