Appropriate prescribing and important drug interactions in older adults

Med Clin North Am. 2015 Mar;99(2):295-310. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2014.11.005.

Abstract

Polypharmacy, specifically the overuse and misuse of medications, is associated with adverse health events, increased disability, hospitalizations, and mortality. Mechanisms through which polypharmacy may increase adverse health outcomes include decreased adherence, increased drug side effects, higher use of potentially inappropriate medications, and more frequent drug-drug interactions. This article reviews clinical problems associated with polypharmacy and presents a framework to optimize prescribing for older adults.

Keywords: Adherence; Adverse drug events; Drug interactions; Elderly; Polypharmacy; Potentially inappropriate medications.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged / physiology*
  • Aged, 80 and over / physiology*
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / adverse effects
  • Clopidogrel
  • Drug Combinations
  • Drug Interactions
  • Humans
  • Inappropriate Prescribing
  • Kidney / physiology
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Medication Errors / prevention & control
  • Osteoporosis / chemically induced
  • Osteoporosis / prevention & control
  • Patient Compliance
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Polypharmacy*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / standards*
  • Proton Pump Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Quinolones / adverse effects
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Sulfadiazine / adverse effects
  • Ticlopidine / adverse effects
  • Ticlopidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Trimethoprim / adverse effects

Substances

  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Drug Combinations
  • Proton Pump Inhibitors
  • Quinolones
  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
  • Sulfadiazine
  • sulfadiazine, trimethoprim drug combination
  • Clopidogrel
  • Trimethoprim
  • Ticlopidine