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(Medical-NewsWire.com, May 11, 2013 ) Lethbridge, Canada -- As each of us age, our respective bodies change as they should, and often times prescriptions are considered necessary. However, a new study shows that doctors across the country seem to be over-prescribing high-risk medication to their senior patients.
The research shows that the problem is more frequent in the south, including Albany Georgia. For the aging community in the area, this poses a real problem. As Linda Price, the body simply is not working like it use to, and so seniors have to deal with items like “...blood pressure, cholesterol, there is a lot of them, but I can't name them all."
By the age of 65, most individuals are taking a minimum of four prescription drugs. Mrs. Price takes a handful of medication throughout the day as part of her routine. "I take nine in the morning, one at lunch, two at supper and three before I got to bed."
Brown University public health researchers recently completed a study that found doctors are over-prescribing higher-risk drugs, of which many carry severe possible side effects for all individuals. Senior citizens can be more susceptible to the side effects given lowered immune systems and complications from interaction with other medications.
Researchers now base their findings of over 100 high-risk drugs that have been compiled by doctors and experts.
For Albany Georgia, the news is more dire, as it has the worst instances of this doctoral practice. Nearly 40% of seniors on Medicare Advantage in Albany are taking at least one rather risky drug or drug combination.
"We have some with pages of medication," said Addie Mclver, Associate Director of SOWEGA Senior Center.
For the past 18-years Mclver worked at the SOWEGA Senior Center, and says she sees more medications being given.
"Some of them have bags of medication. Their list goes on and on," explained Addie Mclver.
Pharmacist Ed Dozier, after looking over a list of the drugs on the risk list had this to say: "Half the ones on this page are off the market anyway; the Darviocet and Propeoxicate products are no longer manufactured. With what's remaining, what percentage of that is even prescribed to older people? I'd say about ten percent. Maybe some muscle relaxers that older people tolerate better," said Ed Dozier.
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Source: EmailWire.Com 
Source: EmailWire.com
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