Economics / Chapter 14

The elderly population is prone to polypharmacy, or being prescribed multiple medications to treat one or several medical conditions. Although the prescribing provider(s) have good intentions, the practice of polypharmacy can lead to dangerous or even deadly consequences, particularly in the elderly. This trend is becoming more and more common, leading to questions about at what point does prescribing multiple medications more of a hazard than of any help? And perhaps most importantly, how do we as providers effectively intervene in order to address this concern?

Recent figures have shown that 6.5% of in-patient hospital admissions stem from adverse drug reactions. Of those adverse reactions, 72% are identified as ones that could definitely or possibly have been avoided (Anguita, 2011). This is of particular concern in the elderly, who are a patient population with higher incidence of multiple health problems, more prone to drug-drug interactions, errors...
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