Elderly Patients are at Increased Risk for Adverse Drug Events
- 30% of hospital admissions in patients 65 and up are linked to drug-related problems.1
- 66% of long term care residents experience an adverse drug event (ADE).
- ADEs are linked to depression, falls, constipation, immobility, and confusion.
- Elderly patients are at increased risk for ADEs due to multiple co-morbidities, complex chronic conditions, and polypharmacy.
If you take prescription and over-the-counter drugs, it is vitally important that you talk to your doctors and pharmacists about every drug you take. Your health care providers need to know everything to help them make the best decisions about treating you.
OFMQ created a useful pamphlet to help you manage information about your prescriptions and know what kind of questions to ask your doctors and pharmacists about your medications. Download the pamphlet here: 8.5" x 14" legal size, 8.5" x 11". Requires Acrobat reader. Download reader here.
Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality provides education and other resources for pharmacists, physicians and prescription drug plans in Oklahoma to improve prescribing practices and reduce complications from drug use. If you are a physician, pharmacist, nurse or an interested facility, please contact Phillip Smith at 405.840.2891 or click here for more information about being a part of this groundbreaking project.
Sources: 1. Fick, D., Cooper, J., et al. Updating the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Patients. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:2716-2724.