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Medication-Related Issues in Later Life

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Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

Synonyms

Medication-related problems, medication management problems, medication use problems, medication-related risk factors, medication safety, adverse medication events, older people, older adults, elderly, seniors

Definition

‘Medication-related issues in later life’ refers to the safety aspects associated with medication use by older persons. This can be related to individual, medication, health professional and healthcare system factors, with examples of strategies provided to assist older persons in managing their medications safely and effectively.

Introduction

The prevalence of most chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and dementia, increases with age. As a result of population aging, the global burden of chronic diseases (see “Definition”) is projected to increase from 47 % in 2002 to 60 % by the year 2020 (Epping-Jordan et al. 2004). Medications, including prescription, over-the-counter, and complementary preparations, are commonly used for preventing,...

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Correspondence to Cik Yin Lee .

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Lee, C.Y., Beanland, C., Elliott, R.A., Lee, S., Pardo, N.E. (2016). Medication-Related Issues in Later Life. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_288-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_288-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-287-080-3

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