I. The Statistics
A. Currently, approximately one out of eight (12%) people are 65 and over; by the year 2030, approximately one out of five (20%) will be in this age bracket.
B. People 65 and over have more illness, consume more drugs, and are more sensitive to adverse drug reactions than other age groups.
C. 1.5 billion prescriptions are written in the United States each year, 1/3 of which are written for those 65 and over.
D. Over the past 25 years, the average number of prescriptions per person in the general population has increased from 2.4 to 7.5 annually. People 65+ average 13 prescriptions per year.
II. The Problems
A. Adverse Drug Reactions
B. Drug Interactions
C. Patient-Related Factors
III. Common Signs and Symptoms
I. Memory loss
J. Poor appetite
L. Weight Loss
IV. The Solutions – General Strategies
A. The Doctor
B. The Nurse
C. The Pharmacist
D. The Patient
E. Regulatory Approach
V. The Solutions – Other Strategies
A. Medication questions "Hotline"
B. "Brown bag" programs
C. Computerized medication profile analysis
D. Formal research
Copyright 1996-2011 Robert Stall MD / Stall Geriatrics LLC – originally written 5/10/94; posted 5/25/96; last update 1/19/2000