Drug intereaction a high risk for older patients
Around 2.2 million Americans – at least one in 25 older adults – take multiple drugs in combinations that can produce a harmful drug interaction with half of these interactions involving a non-prescription medication.
University of Chicago researchers reported that although the number of people taking medications had remained stable in the past decade, the number of drugs being taken by older people had significantly increased, with more than half of the older adults now taking five or more medications or supplements.
Dr Stacy Tessler Lindau, of the University of Chicago Medical Centre, said that “older adults are the largest consumers of prescription drugs. We find that they commonly combine these prescription medications with over the counter medications and dietary supplements which can increase their vulnerability to medication side-effects and drug-drug interactions”.
The survey team interviewed 3,005 people in their homes about medications they used every day or every week. Ninety-one percent used at least one medication while 29% of older adults took more than five prescription medications. Sixty-eight percent who took prescription drugs also used over the counter medications or dietary supplements.
The researchers said the most common potentially severe medication interactions included warfarin and aspirin risking bleeding, gingko and aspirin risking bleeding, niacin and atorvasatin, and niacin and simvastatin risking muscle weakness and muscle breakdown.
Dr Lindau said that “physicians and pharmacists need to ask their patients about the use of non-prescription drugs. Patients need to inform their providers about all medications they use and ask about interactions any time they start a new drug, on their own or following the doctor’s recommendation”.
