Problems with medication use in the elderly: an Australian perspective

Pharmacotherapy is an essential component of medical care for older patients, and around two-thirds of Australians over the age of 60 years use 4 or more drugs. Although polypharmacy is a well-known risk factor for adverse drug events, use of multiple drugs may be unavoidable in the elderly with multiple comorbidities. While there have been concerns about inappropriate prescribing, polypharmacy and non-adherence, it is now recognised that there are a broader range of drug-related problems that need to be addressed. These include suboptimal monitoring of drugs, poor medication management in patients’ homes, under-prescribing and poor communication between health professionals. This is a review of the Australian literature on problems with medication use in the elderly, with guidelines for improving the quality of medicine use in this population. J Pharm Pract Res 2006; 36: 58-66