PHAR4811 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Polypharmacy, Qom, Pharmacodynamics
23 Jul 2018
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Document Summary
In 2004, people aged > 65 comprised 13% of the total population and the population is projected to increase to 26% in 2051. Most medications are consumed by older people and they are at an increased risk of harm from medicines. Achieving quality use of medicines (qum) is challenging in older people. Many medications include polypharmacy (use of 5 or more medications), hyperpolypharmacy (use of 10 or more medications), concomitant use of three or more medications, long-term simultaneous use of two or more medications and use of inappropriate medications. At highest risk of polypharmacy are both males and females between the ages of 64 and 75. People aged 65 and over: multi-morbidity, geriatric syndromes - non-specific and multi-factorial. Therapeutic aims vary with development of multi-morbidity, disability, geriatric syndromes and terminal illness. Inter-individual variability can result in a lack of efficacy and unexpected side effects. Variability can be classified as pharmacokinetic (pk) and pharmacodynamic (pd).
