Estrogen patches, aspirin and ibuprofen are among 53 medications and classes of medications that are potentially inappropriate for the elderly if not carefully prescribed, according to a newly revised list by the American Geriatrics Society.
The list of potentially dangerous medications for adults 65 and older was posted online Friday by the organization.
Known as the Beers Criteria, the list is aimed at guiding doctors to avoid adverse drug events (ADE) for the elderly.
According to studies cited by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), more than 40 percent of people 65 and older take five or more medications and more than a third of them will suffer an ADE each year.
"Older adults run a particularly high risk of ADEs, in part because age-related physiological changes and multiple health problems can make them more vulnerable to such reactions," Jennie Chin Hansen, the organization's CEO, said in a statement announcing the update to the Beers Criteria.
The Beers Criteria, created by the late geriatrician Mark Beers in 1991, was last revised in 2003 and is widely referenced by doctors in the field of geriatric care.
The 2012 list was updated by a panel of experts in geriatrics and pharmacotherapy based on the latest available research, the study says.
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