US inappropriate Rxing study "tip of iceberg"

Over 21% of US seniors, nearly 7 million people, were treated with atleast one of 33 potentially inappropriate medications during 1996, while nearly 3% were given 11 treatments that older people should never receive, reports a study published in the December 12 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Moreover, lead author Chunliu Zhan of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality told Reuters that these findings probably represent only the tip of the iceberg, as they did not look at interactions between drugs and with diseases, drug misuse or underuse. Other patient groups at risk include women, those in poor health and people taking the highest number of medicines, said the study, warning that the problem could worsen with the proposed Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Reasons for the problem include the fact that seniors are not usually included in clinical trials, particularly those suffering from more than one condition, said Dr Zhan. Also, their physicians may not have geriatric care training, and patients themselves may demand particular products which they have found worked before.