Polypharmacy and the Elderly: What Nurses Should Know About Managing Multiple Medications

Course overview

The number of prescriptions per capita in the U.S. has risen dramatically over the past 20 years, especially for the elderly. Not many primary care and other medical specialists have advanced training in prescribing for the elderly, and physicians may be unaware of the multiplication of risk with each new drug prescribed. A number of studies show that it is the number of drugs prescribed-more than the class-that is the best predictor of adverse drug events due to polypharmacy in the elderly. This activity will provide strategies and resources to help reduce polypharmacy in the senior population.