National Poll Highlights Antibiotic Education Needs Among Older U.S. Adults

The National Poll on Healthy Aging conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation found many older American adults do not properly use antibiotics, reports Drug Topics . The results highlight opportunities for educating this demographic, especially among pharmacists. The survey found 48 percent of respondents 50 to 80 years old used antibiotics in the past two years, yet two out of five expect to receive prescriptions for colds that last long enough, despite widespread knowledge of the adverse effects of overuse. Moreover, one in five reported taking leftover antibiotics from a previous prescription without checking with a healthcare professional. Their biggest reasons for leftover antibiotics were that they received more doses than needed, discontinued because they felt better, stopped due to negative effects, forgot to take the antibiotic or skipped some doses, and discontinued because it was ineffective. A majority of older adults, 92 percent, concurred that they are cautious about the use of antibiotics, and 89 percent agreed that overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance. "We obviously have work to do to help older adults understand safe and appropriate use of these medications so that we can preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for those who need them most," said poll director Preeti Malani. "These findings should be a reminder to physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other providers to step up their wise-prescribing practices and . . . education."