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Seniors Still Prescribed Dangerous Drugs

A study in the February 9, 2004 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine highlights a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that dangerous and/or inappropriate drugs are still being prescribed to elderly Americans in about 1 out of every 12 visits to the doctor. This despite the fact that a similar study issued in 1995 reported similar findings.

“This is a sizable problem,” said CDC statistician Diane Makuc, “it hasn’t been getting better.”

Inappropriate prescriptions are those that specifically carry warnings against use with the elderly or those that interact negatively with medication the patient is already taking. Inappropriate medication use in people over 65 has been cited in numerous adverse drug reactions, excess utilization of the health care system and poor physical function.

The study points out that inappropriate prescriptions were found to have been given in nearly 8% of senior’s doctor visits. The most common inappropriate prescriptions have been for pain relievers and central nervous system drugs.

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