Drugs and the Elderly
"Medications probably are the single most important health
care technology in preventing illness, disability, and death in the geriatric population.”
Medication Use and the Elderly: Current Status and Opportunities
J. Avorn, Health Affairs
Medications reveal much about medical care
Medications are a centrally important aspect of the care of elderly patients, especially vulnerable elders, and are the final common pathway for most therapeutic decisions.
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There are often unanswered questions
Common problems include:
- multiple medications due to multiple health conditions
- potentially wrong dosages
- increased risk of side effects
- increased risk of side effects
"Any symptoms in an elderly patient should be considered a drug side effect until proven otherwise."
Gurwitz J. et al., Long Term Care Quality Letter
For over a generation, Agewell® Health has been a leader in clinical research and education on drugs and the elderly with special expertise in memory. Clients have included major pharmaceutical companies such as Lilly, Abbott, Pfizer, Bristol Myers, Sanofi, Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson, and Eisai.
Now our expertise about medications and older adults is available online through the Agewell® Memory Makeover® Assessment. Based on your information, we provide an assessment of what, when, why and how medications are used in order to provide a bio-psychosocial snapshot of your care.