Safe Medication Management
How can healthcare providers account for the age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics that impact medication absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, and what strategies can be used to adjust medication regimens for older adult patients to minimize the risk of adverse drug reactions and medication errors?
Adjusting Medications for Aging
Healthcare providers must account for age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to ensure safe and effective medication use in older adults. Here are strategies for adjusting medication regimens to minimize risks:
- Comprehensive Medication Review:
- Action: Regularly review all medications an older adult is taking, including prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements.
- Rationale: This helps identify potentially inappropriate medications, drug interactions, and opportunities to simplify the regimen.
- Start Low, Go Slow:
- Action: Initiate therapy at the lowest effective dose and titrate slowly.
- Rationale: Older adults often have increased sensitivity to medications and slower metabolism, reducing the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
- Monitor Renal and Hepatic Function:
- Action: Regularly assess kidney and liver function…
Adjusting Medications for Aging
Healthcare providers must account for age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to ensure safe and effective medication use in older adults. Here are strategies for adjusting medication regimens to minimize risks:
- Comprehensive Medication Review:
- Action: Regularly review all medications an older adult is taking, including prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements.
- Rationale: This helps identify potentially inappropriate medications, drug interactions, and opportunities to simplify the regimen.
- Start Low, Go Slow:
- Action: Initiate therapy at the lowest effective dose and titrate slowly.
- Rationale: Older adults often have increased sensitivity to medications and slower metabolism, reducing the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
- Monitor Renal and Hepatic Function:
- Action: Regularly assess kidney and liver function…
Adjusting Medications for Aging
Healthcare providers must account for age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to ensure safe and effective medication use in older adults. Here are strategies for adjusting medication regimens to minimize risks:
- Comprehensive Medication Review:
- Action: Regularly review all medications an older adult is taking, including prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements.
- Rationale: This helps identify potentially inappropriate medications, drug interactions, and opportunities to simplify the regimen.
- Start Low, Go Slow:
- Action: Initiate therapy at the lowest effective dose and titrate slowly.
- Rationale: Older adults often have increased sensitivity to medications and slower metabolism, reducing the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Safe Medication Management
- Monitor Renal and Hepatic Function:
- Action: Regularly assess kidney and liver function…
