More Than Half of Older Adults Use at Least One Psychoactive Medication, Study Says

A study in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association found older adults are taking more psychoactive medications than they did in previous years, reports Pharmacist.com . The researchers calculated that anticonvulsant use increased 450 percent for older community-dwelling Americans from 1996 to 2013, and use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) rose 300 percent, opioid use increased 140 percent, and benzodiazepine use climbed 50 percent. Generally, more than half of older adults used at least one psychoactive medication in 2013, and about 10 percent used three or more psychoactive drugs. According to the American Geriatric Society's Beers Criteria, older adults at risk of falls should not take such medication. "Medication use in older adults, specifically psychoactive medication, is one of the modifiable risk factors that can be targeted to lower the risk of falls," noted Yara Haddad with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study did not cite specific SSRIs or indications. "Many SSRIs, for example, can be prescribed safely for mood conditions without increasing the risk of falls," said University of San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor Kelly Lee. "On the other hand, gabapentin and pregabalin, which are classified as anticonvulsants, are used frequently for pain or anxiety disorders in older adults."