In this moment of new beginnings and a new year, taking stock of your own or your loved one’s health and well-being can be a useful exercise. And if you’re an older adult, or you care for someone who is, chances are one of the areas that would be important to review is that of prescription drug usage. We know from previous agebuzz posts on prescription drug use among older adults that far too many older adults take far more medications than they actually need, leading to harmful side-effects or negative interactions that are not only counter-productive but may actually cause more harm than good. In fact, there is data to show that every day, 750 older adults are hospitalized due to the side effects from the medications they take, and if trends continue, it’s expected that up to 150,000 people will die prematurely over the next decade as a result of polypharmacy (taking 5 or more medications at one time.) For a comprehensive overview of the overuse of medications among older adults, put aside your prescriptions and click here.

New research out of Ireland has just been published in PLOS Medicine that not only addresses this burgeoning public health problem of polypharmacy and the need to deprescribe for older adults, but also suggests a strategy for physicians to address and reduce this problem. The goal was to facilitate the review of older medications that patients still take and see if any could be reduced or eliminated. In this study, over 400 patients, each taking over 15 medications, were identified to undergo a physician review of their medication regimen. As a result of the examination of the medications, their value, and the risks they posed, either on their own or in combination with other meds, physicians were able to cut out over 800 medications among ½ of the participants. As the lead researchers concluded, “It can be daunting for GPs with limited time and resources to actively manage these prescriptions and patients can also be wary about change, particularly if they have been on a medicine a long time…(but)…stopping medicines that may no longer be needed or appropriate is both possible and generally safe.”

Of course, the ideal would be to prevent the overprescribing of medications in the first place. Along those lines, it’s useful to take in the advice of Janice Horowitz, a health journalist, and author of the recently published and well-reviewed book, Health Your Self: What’s Really Driving Your Care And How To Take Charge. In a recent excerpt of her book in Next Avenue, Horowitz poses a number of critical questions you or your loved ones should ask before accepting the recommendation of a new medication. Among the questions she suggests are: How real is the benefit of this drug? Does the benefit outweigh the risk? What side effects might I experience and how will this interact with other drugs I am taking (make sure your physician is fully aware of all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you take)?  Will I need to take this drug for the rest of my life or will we review its use over time? And how much experience do you have with patients like me taking this drug? For more of her insights and recommendations, grab a glass of water and read here.

Finally, we also know from a study in 2020 that patients who take 4 or more drugs often do not take them as prescribed- whether due to confusion, misunderstanding, or some other reason that prevents them from following directions. One reason patients may not take medications correctly is that they are unable to read the directions on the prescription bottle, due to visual impairments. However, there is a new technology innovation to address that. CVS pharmacies across the country have just rolled out a feature called Spoken RX, an app that will read out an audible version of your prescription and medication directions when the bottle is scanned. Developed in collaboration with the American Council of the Blind, this technology should now be available in the 10,000 CVS stores across the country and should help lessen the likelihood of medication mistakes. For more about this new option, read here.