Don’t pop too many pills, doctors warn senior citizens
Avg No. Of Pills Prescribed For Elderly Patients Is Eight: Survey
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.12.2019
The elderly now live longer than ever, and many believe pills can vanquish their problems and pains. An increasing number of people above 60 years of age are victims of polypharmacy, taking five or more drugs at one go.
While doctors say it may be tough to say how much is too much, patients and doctors should work together to ensure that every pill they pop is necessary. A recent city-based survey done at a multi-speciality hospital showed that the average number of drugs prescribed for patients was eight. Prescription analysis of more than 100 patients showed that some take up to 15 pills a day, but none less than two. Further studies showed that there were reactions between two (or more) drugs. Researchers from C L Baid Metha College of Pharmacy and Mangalore-based Srinivas College of Pharmacy concluded that protocols should be developed to monitor geriatric patients’ prescriptions.
Geriatricians say drugs are prescribed by different specialists who don’t communicate with each other. Further, if the patients are hospitalized, doctors making the rounds add to the list and some of the drugs they prescribe may be unnecessary or not compatible.
In some cases, patients don’t revisit doctors for years but keep reusing old prescription. “It is one of the commonest problems we see,” says senior geriatrician Dr V S Natarajan. “Most specialists prescribe vitamins, calcium and sleeping tablets without seeing what other medications patients take. In many cases, these are unnecessary,” he said.
Such prescriptions push up cost of medicines. “I don’t have a health insurance. Insurance companies quote a very high premium and even those don’t cover medical bills,” said Radha Mani, a 69-year-old house wife who has been taking at least 17 medicines a day. “When I met with an accident, specialists added medicines to strengthen my nerves and bones, which I took for years. When I met my primary physician four years later, he cut down six drugs and tapered down at least four of them,” she said. Since then, her medical bills have come down by ₹1,200 a month.
Senior doctors often caution juniors, particularly specialists, about prescribing medicines. “I tell them that any drug that is worth using can cause harm. We always suggest drug therapy in the elderly should be kept to a minimum,” said diabetologist Dr V Mohan. “As policy, we now write exercise and diet on top of most prescriptions, particularly if they are above 60 years old,” he said.
Avg No. Of Pills Prescribed For Elderly Patients Is Eight: Survey
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.12.2019
The elderly now live longer than ever, and many believe pills can vanquish their problems and pains. An increasing number of people above 60 years of age are victims of polypharmacy, taking five or more drugs at one go.
While doctors say it may be tough to say how much is too much, patients and doctors should work together to ensure that every pill they pop is necessary. A recent city-based survey done at a multi-speciality hospital showed that the average number of drugs prescribed for patients was eight. Prescription analysis of more than 100 patients showed that some take up to 15 pills a day, but none less than two. Further studies showed that there were reactions between two (or more) drugs. Researchers from C L Baid Metha College of Pharmacy and Mangalore-based Srinivas College of Pharmacy concluded that protocols should be developed to monitor geriatric patients’ prescriptions.
Geriatricians say drugs are prescribed by different specialists who don’t communicate with each other. Further, if the patients are hospitalized, doctors making the rounds add to the list and some of the drugs they prescribe may be unnecessary or not compatible.
In some cases, patients don’t revisit doctors for years but keep reusing old prescription. “It is one of the commonest problems we see,” says senior geriatrician Dr V S Natarajan. “Most specialists prescribe vitamins, calcium and sleeping tablets without seeing what other medications patients take. In many cases, these are unnecessary,” he said.
Such prescriptions push up cost of medicines. “I don’t have a health insurance. Insurance companies quote a very high premium and even those don’t cover medical bills,” said Radha Mani, a 69-year-old house wife who has been taking at least 17 medicines a day. “When I met with an accident, specialists added medicines to strengthen my nerves and bones, which I took for years. When I met my primary physician four years later, he cut down six drugs and tapered down at least four of them,” she said. Since then, her medical bills have come down by ₹1,200 a month.
Senior doctors often caution juniors, particularly specialists, about prescribing medicines. “I tell them that any drug that is worth using can cause harm. We always suggest drug therapy in the elderly should be kept to a minimum,” said diabetologist Dr V Mohan. “As policy, we now write exercise and diet on top of most prescriptions, particularly if they are above 60 years old,” he said.
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