Saving lives through medication is part of a health system success story, where individuals can manage or prevent diseases and conditions that reduce the quality of lives.

Yet, taking too many drugs could result in adverse outcomes that outweigh the benefits and affect the lives of people across age groups. Therefore, there are concerns about the dangers of excess drug use among senior citizens who are at risk of complicated health issues and have reduced body functions.

According to research and health experts, senior citizens are at risk of adverse drug events, hospitalization, frailty, and death when they use multiple drugs and neglect the importance of drug interactions, dosages, duration, and onset. This article will explore the dangers of excess drug use among senior citizens, including drug abuse and misuse, polypharmacy, and drug interactions, among others.

Drug Abuse and Misuse Among Senior Citizens

Drug abuse and misuse refer to the use of drugs inappropriately, or contrary to physicians’ orders. The perceptions of drug abuse and addiction among senior citizens may differ from younger adults but can be as risky and dangerous.

Senior citizens are at risk of drug abuse and misuse when they lose control over drug use, progress from taking medications for legitimate reasons to taking higher doses that surpass therapeutic levels or for non-medical reasons, leading to dependence.

Drug abuse and misuse in senior citizens often result from chronic pain management and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Senior citizens using drugs for the first time and those without prescription medication have a higher risk.

The danger lies in the associated risks of falls, over sedation, cognitive impairment, and other long-term psychological and physical conditions leading to death.

Polypharmacy Among Senior Citizens

Polypharmacy refers to the use of multiple medications concurrently. Senior citizens with multiple chronic conditions are at risk of polypharmacy due to multiple drug regimens to manage their health.

Older adults may take multiple medications from different physicians without understanding the side effects and interactions of the drugs leading to possible complications and hospitalization.

Polypharmacy compromises the quality of life of senior citizens and shifts the attention of health care professionals from treating chronic conditions to managing medication side effects.

Senior citizens often have limited cognitive functions, leading to forgetfulness and misunderstanding instructions, reducing adherence and increasing risk for adverse drug events.

Drug Interactions Among Senior Citizens

Drug interactions occur when two or more drugs have unintended impacts on a senior citizen’s body.

For instance, older adults taking different medications may experience adverse drug events, when the drugs interact and cause different effects on their body systems. Drugs interactions are a significant concern among senior citizens due to metabolism and metabolic rates that change with age.

The use of herbal supplements, street drugs, and supplements prescriptions from different providers increases the risk of adverse drug events among senior citizens.

Senior citizens may lack the understanding of the potential dangers of drug interactions, leading to inadvertent consumption of harmful drugs that negate the essential therapeutic impact.

Other Dangers of Excess Drug Use Among Senior Citizens

In addition to drug abuse, polypharmacy, and drug interactions, there are other dangers of excess drug use among senior citizens, including;.

Adverse Drug Events

Adverse drug events refer to the harm caused by consuming drugs inappropriately, leading to negative outcomes such as hospitalization and worsening health or fatal outcomes.

Senior citizens are at a higher risk of adverse drug events due to age, chronic conditions, and multiple drug regimens.

Misdiagnosis

Excessive drug use among senior citizens increases the risk of misdiagnosis during the examination of chronic health conditions.

Misdiagnosis arises when the physician examines the symptoms of the overlapping adverse drug events instead of the underlying condition.

Cognitive Impairment

Excessive drug use also leads to cognitive impairment in senior citizens.

Studies show that the use of anticholinergic drugs, tri-cyclic antidepressants, and benzodiazepines leads to cognitive impairment in senior citizens, reducing their cognitive abilities, leading to other risks like more falls and fractures and medication regimes mismanagement.

Conclusion

The dangers of excess drug use among senior citizens arise from factors such as drug abuse and misuse, polypharmacy, drug interactions, and the risk of adverse drug events, which lead to worsening health outcomes and reduce the quality of life.

Healthcare professionals and senior citizens must communicate and understand the importance of medication management, including medication administration instruction, adherence to medication schedules, and potential side effects to reduce the risk of adverse drug events. Healthcare professionals can minimize the risks of polypharmacy by overseeing the senior citizen’s medication schedule and limiting the chances of drug interaction with different physicians examining the same patient.

Senior citizens must take an active role in understanding how to use their medications correctly, and when they need to call their healthcare professionals promptly.