Introduction
The problem addressed in this study concerns the negative effects of prescribing drugs in elderly patients. To develop an effective intervention model for solving a health problem, a thorough theoretical study is necessary. The researcher needs to identify potential questions or problems and check their priority, as well as look for evidence and select research sources with conceptual consistency (Sudsawad, 2007). Researchers confirm that there is a serious public health problem associated with the prescription of ineffective, unnecessary, potentially dangerous drugs for elderly patients (Rochon et al., 2021; Watanabe, 2022). The proposed intervention strategy includes an effective and rapid measure to reduce negative consequences: it is necessary to optimize the process of prescribing therapy for elderly patients. A more long-term measure would be to change practices to balance between medicinal and non-pharmacological methods. The proposed intervention will be based on the need to meet standards of care that require all measures to be taken to protect patient safety.
Polypharmacy, Inappropriate Prescribing, and Deprescribing in Older People
Rochon et al. (2021) describe the problem of polypharmacy, which is identified as very common among the elderly. WHO identifies polypharmacy as the third international patient safety issue (Rochon et al., 2021). Researchers insist on the need to optimize drug prescribing for older patients (Rochon et al., 2021). The only optimal solution in this situation is to stop prescribing drugs that are no longer necessary. The main population of concern is women since with an increase in the number of older people, this gender group makes up the majority (Rochon et al., 2021). Older women are the main risk group associated with the overuse of drugs. Careful and systematic optimization of inadequate drug therapy and the choice of other non-drug interventions can significantly improve the lives of older people.
The identified problem is common and requires immediate attention of the medical community. Deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications can minimize drug-related harm for older adults, especially women (Rochon et al., 2021). The problem requires global attention since many elderly patients suffer from the consequences of polypharmacy (Rochon et al., 2021). The main possible intervention involves optimizing prescribing for the elderly by reducing doses of certain drugs or stopping drugs that are no longer needed. When implementing this solution, it is supposed to be guided by the main standard of care provided: it must meet the safety requirements for patients. The proposed intervention will significantly reduce the negative effects of polypharmacy among the elderly. In the long term, the initiative aims to improve the living standards of older patients and redefine the way they are cared for.
Senior Care Pharmacists Must Be the Disruptive Force that Reduces Adverse Drug Events in Older People
Watanabe (2022) emphasizes that with a rapidly aging population, people are becoming more dependent on drugs, which poses a threat to public health. The researcher considers the problem of incorrect prescription and excessive prescription of drugs from a social and economic point of view. It is estimated that drug-related adverse events may be the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Watanabe, 2022). Older people over 65 years of age represent a special risk group, and the risks increase every year. Hospitalizations and patient deaths result in significant costs to the health care system, exceeding $500 billion in 2016 (Watanabe, 2022). The costs could be avoided by reducing the negative effects associated with medicines. Moreover, the increase in costs should continue since the process of population aging is an almost irreversible phenomenon that will cause an increase in the number of hospitalizations. A potential intervention is to reduce the use of inappropriate drugs (Watanabe, 2022). Although this initiative is costly, the long-term effect would be to reduce the cost of adverse drug effects and channel the saved funds to better public health.
Thus, the problem of misuse and over-prescribing of drugs poses a risk to patient safety and causes enormous avoidable costs. The only potential solution, based primarily on the requirement of patient safety standards, is to optimize the prescribing process (Watanabe, 2022). The first step is to reconsider policies that allow inappropriate, potentially harmful drugs to be prescribed. An extension of the initiative could be to increase the number of non-drug treatments. The identified intervention will have a positive impact on the condition of elderly patients and will allow efficient spending of budget funds.
Conclusion
The identified problem of over-prescribing drugs to elderly patients poses a serious threat to public health. Researchers agree that the elderly are the most susceptible to the negative effects of drug therapy (Rochon et al., 2021; Watanabe, 2022). The only possible strategy to address this issue is the optimization of drug prescriptions. This strategy is designed to ensure patient safety, reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths, and increase the cost-effectiveness of healthcare. The initial plan should include reviewing the prescribing process to eliminate ineffective, conflicting, and harmful drugs. The longer-term plan should involve a review of the entire system, which should be redirected toward finding a balance between drug and non-drug treatments. Without prompt intervention, the situation will worsen every year, causing avoidable deaths.
References
Rochon, P. A., Petrovic, M., Cherubini, A., Onder, G., O’Mahony, D., Sternberg, S. A., & Gurwitz, J. H. (2021). Polypharmacy, inappropriate prescribing, and deprescribing in older people: Through a sex and gender lens. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 2(5), 290-300. Web.
Sudsawad, P. (2007). Knowledge Translation: Introduction to Models, Strategies, and Measures. The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research.
Watanabe, J. H. (2022). Senior care pharmacists must be the disruptive force that reduces adverse drug events in older people. The Senior Care Pharmacist, 37(7), 247-249. Web.