Abstract
Older persons, representing more than 10% of the population in the United States, take all forms of medication more frequently than younger individuals. Estimates of psychotropic drug use in the aged range from 7% to 92% in institutional settings and up to 30% in medical settings. A greater incidence of polypharmacy accompanies increased utilization of drugs. A recent survey in general hospitals showed that older patients received an average of 5–12 medications per day. These statistics reflect many factors: a longer life span accompanied by a greater incidence of chronic illnesses; increased medical sophistication; and drug therapy as a substitute for nonbiological interventions.
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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Salzman, C. (1998). Geriatric Psychopharmacology. In: Gelenberg, A.J., Bassuk, E.L. (eds) The Practitioner’s Guide to Psychoactive Drugs. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5877-4_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5877-4_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7695-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5877-4
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