Women and Seniors at Higher Risk of Dangerous Drug Interactions

A study published in npj Digital Medicine , led by researchers at Indiana University (IU), discovered women and older adults taking multiple prescription drugs are significantly more likely to be prescribed medications with dangerous interactions, reports News at IU Bloomington . The team found a 60 percent higher risk for adverse drug reaction in women versus men. Meanwhile, one in every four older adults over age 55, and one in every three aged 70 to 79, received drugs with an interaction. The researchers found 181 drug combinations prescribed against recommendations altogether, dispensed to 15,527 study participants — including 5,000 who received drug combinations known for serious complications. "We expected some elevated risk in older adults since they use more medications, but not this high," stated IU Professor Luis Rocha. "The gender bias was completely unexpected." Medications that were most frequently prescribed in hazardous combinations were standard drugs like omeprazole, fluoxetine, and ibuprofen, along with less common drugs like erythromycin.