Taking medication is never without risk. And the elderly are particularly at risk of suffering adverse drug events (ADRs). The first reason for this is obviously that the older you get, the greater the risk of presenting with multiple pathologies requiring the concomitant intake of several medications. Medicines most often prescribed by several doctors, who are not always fully informed of all the treatments taken by their patients.
Medication-related problems in the elderly
According to figures from the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), “iatrogenic medication alone accounts for 20% of emergency hospitalizations for people over 75 and 25% of admissions for people over 85.“Taking different drugs at the same time (and therefore the risk of interactions) is not the only reason for this. As the ANSM reminds us, “age is usually accompanied by changes in the functioning of the organs that ensure the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of drugs”. Dosage adjustment is therefore sometimes essential. There is also a risk of poor compliance with treatment, because the patient is isolated or because he is not physically able to prepare his various treatments, for example.
Medicines and the elderly: what precautions should be taken?
Here are some tips to avoid complications:
- Always talk to your doctor about treatments in progress, prescribed by another doctor. The ideal is to keep recent prescriptions and to be able to present them.
- Respect the dosage of the drug, never increase or decrease it on your own.
- Do not stop a drug.
- Read the instructions carefully, and do not hesitate to ask the pharmacist for advice in case of doubt.
- Keep medications in their original box to avoid mixing up blister packs.
- Talk to the doctor or pharmacist about your difficulties in preparing your medications, or even in swallowing them. Other dosage forms exist.
- Never resume a stopped treatment.
- Consult quickly in case of appearance of undesirable side effects.
- Do not hesitate to get help to prepare your pill box.
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