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The Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults, commonly called the Beers List, [1] are guidelines published by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) for healthcare professionals to help improve the safety of prescribing medications for adults 65 years and older in all except palliative settings.
[81] [82] Concerns regarding the long-term effects of benzodiazepines have been raised since 1980. [83] These concerns are still not fully answered. A review in 2006 of the literature on use of benzodiazepine and nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics concluded that more research is needed to evaluate the long-term effects of hypnotic drugs. [84]
The elderly have less cognitive reserve and are more sensitive to the short (e.g., in between dose withdrawal) and protracted withdrawal effects of benzodiazepines, as well as the side-effects both from short-term and long-term use. This can lead to excessive contact with their doctor.
Many older people living in long term care facilities experience polypharmacy, and under-prescribing of potentially indicated medicines and use of high risk medicines can also occur. [37] Medicine use rises from 6.0 ± 3.8 regular medicines on average when people enter long term care to 8.9 ± 4.1 regular medicines after two years. [39]
These side effects are serious and some of them are permanent, and many remain a crucial concern for companies and healthcare professionals and substantial efforts are being encouraged to reduce the potential risks for future antipsychotics through more clinical trials and drug development.
Different drug classes have different side effects. Long-term medical conditions induced by opioid include infection, hyperalgesia, opioid-induced bowel syndrome, opioid-related leukoencephalopathy and opioid amnestic syndrome. [32] Misuse of prescribed opioids medications is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. [37]
Long-term opioid use occurs in about 4% of people following their use for trauma or surgery-related pain. [20] In the United States, most heroin users begin by using prescription opioids that may also be bought illegally. [21] [22] People with opioid use disorder are often treated with opioid replacement therapy using methadone or buprenorphine ...
The rate of prescription drug use is fast overtaking illegal drug use in the United States. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, 7 million people were taking prescription drugs for nonmedical use in 2010. Among 12th graders, nonmedical prescription drug use is now second only to cannabis. [19]