As we reported in Health & Age News on December 19, 2008 , the use of complementary and alternative medicine, especially dietary and herbal supplements, is on the rise. Despite concerns about drug safety, up-to-date information on the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements by older adults is limited. According to a study published in the December 24, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, older Americans commonly use prescription and non-prescription medications together, putting them at potential risk for significant drug-drug interactions .

Investigators from the University of Chicago interviewed over 3000 individuals aged 57 to 85 years living in the community in order to estimate the prevalence and patterns of medications use among older Americans. They found that 81% of the participants used at least 1 prescription medication, 42% used at least 1 over-the-counter medication, and 49% used some type of dietary supplement. Twenty-nine percent of the participants used at least 5 prescription medications simultaneously. Among those participants who were on prescription medications, 46% were also using over-the-counter medications and 52% were also using a dietary supplement. The investigators found that 4% of the individuals they interviewed were at risk of having a major drug-drug interaction and at least half of these cases involved the use of non-prescription medications.

The findings of this study highlight the importance of disclosing all over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements to your doctor prior to refilling or receiving prescriptions. With nearly 1 in 25 individuals potentially at risk for a significant drug-drug interaction, and limited information on the side effects and long-term effects of over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements, medication safety is becoming increasingly complex.

Source

JAMA. 2008;300(24):2867-2878.