Too many Medications
“Are You Taking Too Many Medications? “
How to be sure you’re getting the drugs you really need and skipping the risky ones.
The number of medications you take regularly can tick up surprisingly fast as the years pass. The average older adult takes four daily, and more than 15 percent take eight or more, according to the John A. Hartford Foundation, which focuses on the care of older people.
Medications are important, of course. Never stop one that’s been prescribed without talking to your doctor. But as you get older, they stay in your system longer and can cause more side effects, says Michael Steinman, MD, a geriatric medicine specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. Adverse drug events lead to more than 600,000 ER visits for people ages 65 and up per year.
The Beers Criteria, a list of potentially inappropriate medications for older adults maintained by the American Geriatrics Society, has close to 100 drugs or drug classes. Last year, the AGS released guidelines that include safer alternatives. “Doctors often know a certain medication isn’t recommended for an older adult, but they are uncertain what to recommend instead,” says Steinman, co-chair of the panel that developed the guidelines. Here’s the lowdown on common meds of concern.
More information at:
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/drug-safety/are-you-taking-too-many-medications-a5764654938/
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