Praktické lekárnictvo 1-2/2020

Effect of pharmacotherapy on elderly patients

Polypharmacy in geriatric patients is a serious problem, due to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases. The risk of side effects increases as the number of used medicines increases at elderly patients. Deprescription is a relatively new phenomenon. The major aim of deprescription is to eliminate the drugs considered unwanted. The inappropriate prescription of drugs is prescription with lack of evidence of effectiveness in geriatric patients, with a high risk of interactions and side effects, use of an inappropriate dose for elderly patients. The pharmacist plays an important role in optimizing drug therapy in the elderly, providing effective and safe pharmacotherapy by acting in a multidisciplinary team.

Keywords: elderly patients, polypharmacy, inappropriate drugs