A study conducted by Medco Health Solutions, a prescription benefits manager, has found that adults over 65 are seven times more likely to be the victim of dangerous prescription drug interactions. It's not unusual for an elderly patient with chronic problems to visit several doctors and to be prescribed medications by each of them--roughly 25 percent of American seniors see five or more doctors. Unfortunately, doctors oftentimes aren't aware of the other physicians' activities. "Clearly, the more medications you take, the more potential there is for them interacting with each other," Dr. Glen Stettin, a Medco senior vice president, told CNN. "With more physicians providing care to patients, more prescriptions are being written--however, there is clearly a communication breakdown between prescribers." Researchers say that the key to avoiding these drug interactions is electronic health records, such as VA's successful system. In addition, having a primary care physician who is aware of all prescriptions that a patient is taking can also cut down on errors.
For more on the study:
- check out this article from CNN