Drug Safety

Improving Medication Safety in Seniors

Although people over 65 account for 13 percent of the population, they account for 33 percent of prescription drug use in the United States. Advancing age is associated with an increased prevalence of chronic medical conditions and with them, more medications. However, age-related changes in bodily function can result in medications building up and interacting. This leads to medication adverse drug events that range from nausea, falls and confusion to hospitalization and death. Thus, some medications should be avoided in persons 65 years or older because they are ineffective, pose an unnecessarily high risk, or because a safer alternative is available.

Through a CMS contract, GMCF is sponsoring drug safety initiatives to improve medication safety in Georgia seniors. The goal is to reduce the use of medications deemed potentially inappropriate and decrease the frequency of drug-to-drug interactions.

Information, resources and tools to improve the safe use of medications in seniors are found on this site.

Provider Resources

Improving medication adherence in older adults
The Beers List: Inappropriate Medications for the Elderly
Avoid These Drugs in the Elderly
Medscape Drug Interaction Checker - free subscription
Medscape Drug Interaction Checker - application for iPhone
HEDIS: Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly
SafeMedication.com - easy-to-read information on more than 800 drugs.
Medication Reconciliation Tool Kit - North Carolina QIO
Cytochrome P450 Drug Interaction Table
FDA Postmarket Drug Safety Information for Patients and Providers
FDA Alert: New USP standards for heparin products will result in decreased potency
Anticoagulation Management in Primary Care - Adrienne Mims, MD, MPH - Medical Director, Medicare Quality Improvement, GMCF
AHRQ Check Your Medicines - Tips for Using Medicines Safely

Drug Safety Tool Kit Order Form

Patient Resources