- Use of medications increases with age: 80% of older Americans who live independently receive 20 or more prescriptions per year Residents of nursing homes receive an average of 8-10 drugs per day
- It is important to take medications as prescribed. Reasons for not following directions include:
- Too many drugs
- Error due to visual or mental impairment
- Sharing drugs
- Changing doctors
- Use of over-the-counter drugs
- Sparing expense
- Drug side effects
- Symptoms not improving
- See your doctor regularly to check on medications and their effect (bring your medications with you for an office visit or to an emergency room): Drug effect changes with aging There is decreased absorption of drugs through the intestinal tract Decreased kidney function slows drug elimination Metabolism of drugs changes with age
- The effect medications have on your body will change with aging. For example: Drug action may last longer Drugs may produce toxicity at a lower dose in mature adults than in younger adults
- Remember that all changes you experience are not necessarily due to aging. For example, decrease in salivary flow is: Due to disease or medication not due to aging
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