Medication misues older adults

Friedman Aging Well Vol. Surprising numbers of older adults struggle with drug and alcohol issues. Would you know the warning signs specific to this demographic? Substance abuse problems have a terrible impact on social relationships, health, and emotional well-being. They can lead to other serious illnesses, worsen medical conditions, and increase healthcare costs. However, substance use is often unrecognized as an issue, let alone a priority issue, for older adults.

We live in an aging society where the proportion of individuals over the age of 65 will continue to grow over the next few decades. The oldest member of this baby boom generation will turn 65 in the year , leading to an increase of about 22 million individuals over the age of 65 during the following decade. The social upheaval that these baby boomers led in the s and s was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the use of illicit drugs. As they aged and matured in the late s and early s, however, many baby boomers settled down and entered mainstream society. Unfortunately, there is some suggestion that the use of drugs i. Elderly individuals use prescription drugs approximately three times as frequently as the general population, and the use of over-the-counter OTC medications by this group is even more extensive. The disproportionately greater exposure to medications, coupled with age-related physiologic changes in the pharmacokinetics e.

Many older adults may not realize they are taking medications that can have dangerous interactions with alcohol or other drugs. The population of older adults in America is growing due, in large part, to longer life expectancies and the aging "baby-boomer" generation. Statistics from show that people who have survived to age 65 show a total average life expectancy of about 84 years. As many as 20 years ago, the National Council on Patient Information and Education NCPIE described medication misuse as "America's Other Drug Problem," because incorrectly or inappropriately taking prescription medications is a largely underreported topic and is detrimental to those individuals who are at risk.

Prescription drug abuse is when people misuse prescribed medicines. They may abuse their own medicine in a way that is not instructed by the doctor. Or they may abuse a prescription that is meant for someone else. Prescription drug abuse also can occur when people mix medicine with alcohol or other drugs. Examples include medicines that doctors prescribe to treat pain, anxiety , or sleep.