The elderly have a different set of problems with medication then other age groups. They are more at risk for adverse drug effects, over dosage, under dosage, drug ineffectiveness and drug interactions then other age groups as well. There are many reasons that the elderly are affected more than younger people.
One of the main reasons that the elderly face these problems is because of age, their bodies change and process the medications differently than they used to. They may need more or less of the medications that they previously did to do the same job. Doctors may have a harder time finding correct dosages and often under prescribe in an effort to keep their patients safe. Sometimes a medication given to treat one disease can make another disease worse. There is also the problem of what is called a prescription cascade, which is when the adverse effect of one drug can be misinterpreted as symptoms of a new disorder which is then unnecessarily treated.
Elderly patients also have a problem with non-adherence. They may have financial constraints that make purchasing the medications a problem. They may have problems remembering to take medications because of their age. Sometimes the elderly have a hard time with multiple medications that have difficult dosing instructions or when they have to take too many medications. All of these can lead to either under or over dosing.
There are many ways to prevent medication problems in the elderly. Prescribers should always try a nondrug treatment before adding new medication for the elderly. Keeping communication open with patients and their caregivers is also important, making sure the patient knows what the medication is for an also knows the correct dosage. The provider should always start with the lowest dose possible and also assume new symptoms may be a reaction to the medication and not symptoms of a new disorder. As a caregiver of an elderly patient, you can help by monitoring their medications and help them come up with a method to remember to take medications as prescribed.