Future perspectives in drug therapy of older adults

Abstract

The global population is aging and the prevalence of multimorbidity is increasing in tandem. With increased age-related multimorbidity, global consumption of medication is on the rise. Greater consumption of pharmaceuticals by an expanding global population of older people will inevitably lead to increasing levels of inappropriate prescribing (IP), polypharmacy, adverse drug events (ADEs), and iatrogenic morbidity and mortality. This chapter focuses on these changing prescribing patterns, the challenges associated with them and the potential strategies to optimize drug therapy for older adults. Any strategies to be employed need to address prescribing challenges from multiple angles including improvements in education among doctors and patients, encouraging the use of proven pharmacotherapy optimization tools, and embracing the use of computerized prescribing systems where appropriate. However, governments and pharmaceutical agencies need to work together to produce appropriate protocols and incentivized schemes in order to continue to provide effective and affordable drug therapy to the growing aging global population.