Elderly people are more likely to take prescription drugs than younger adults and are also more likely to suffer serious consequences if they use them incorrectly. The proper care of medications has become imperative in the field of geriatric medicine, as many older adults have complex medical problems and often take multiple medications. Here is some importance of drug care for elderly people.
1. Drug interactions
Elderly people are more likely to have drug interactions than younger persons. Elderly people make up about 13% of the U.S. population, but about 30% of the hospital admissions for drug side effects are for elderly patients
2. Cost of drugs
The cost of drugs can be a significant burden on older people. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates that in 2001, out-of-pocket medical expenses accounted for 8% of total medical expenditures in the United States and cost approximately $163 billion.
In some cases, a drug that was administered to an older individual years ago may still be available in a pharmacy, but the cost may often exceed what the individual can afford.
3. Do no harm
Observation of the frailties of older adults, combined with the experiences of clinical trials that have unnecessarily harmed and even killed participants, have led to a greater sensitivity toward harm in geriatric pharmacology. Because of their small body size and organ reserve, older adults often do not tolerate drugs well. Some medications lead to hospitalizations and death in older adults.
4. Rock bottom
The most dangerous situations are those in which patients are left without medication and without other forms of treatment. In such cases, the consequences may be dire. For example, out-of-wedlock living among men over 65 years of age doubled between 1969 and 1997, with a 51% increase in 1994 alone. The increased frequency of this behavior is probably due to reduced economic means and increased health risks associated with marriage later in life.
By taking care of the elderly, we can avoid adverse consequences and also improve their quality of life.