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Polypharmacy

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Medication-Related Falls in Older People

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Abstract

Polypharmacy is common among older adults, largely due to the need to treat the increasing number of diseases that present as a person ages. However, multiple medication use can lead to serious consequences such as adverse drug events and also contribute to geriatric syndromes. A number of strategies have been evaluated in an effort to improve polypharmacy. While such strategies consistently demonstrate significant reductions in inappropriate medication prescribing, their impact on clinical outcomes is equivocal. More research is needed to identify the most effective interventions to optimize medication use in the older population.

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Abbreviations

ADE:

Adverse drug event

ADL:

Activity of daily living

CI:

Confidence interval

LUTS:

Lower urinary tract symptoms

MAI:

Medication appropriateness index

MNA:

Mini-nutritional assessment

NSAID:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

OR:

Odds ratio

OTC:

Over the counter

PIM:

Potentially inappropriate medication

RR:

Relative risk

SIADH:

Syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion

SSRI:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

STOPP:

Screening tool of older person’s prescriptions

US:

United States

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Susan K. Bowles PharmD, MSc

  2. Department of Pharmacy and Centre for Health Care of the Elderly, Nova Scotia Health Authority – Central Zone, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Susan K. Bowles PharmD, MSc

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  1. Susan K. Bowles PharmD, MSc
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Correspondence to Susan K. Bowles PharmD, MSc .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital, Head, Division of Geriatric Medicine University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hosp, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Allen R. Huang

  2. Head, Faculty of Pharmacy Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Louise Mallet

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Bowles, S.K. (2016). Polypharmacy. In: Huang, A., Mallet, L. (eds) Medication-Related Falls in Older People. Adis, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32304-6_4

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