Polypharmacy in Older Adult, Annotated Bibliography Example

Beaulieu, M. M., David Williamson MSc, B., Gilbert Pichette, M. F., & Jean Lachaine, P. (2007, November). Risk of Clostridium difficile–Associated Disease among Patients Receiving Proton?Pump Inhibitors in a Quebec Medical Intensive Care Unit. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 28, 1305-1307.

This article describes the polypharmacy-associated problems among older adults including the risk of clostridium associated disease especially among adults receiving proton-pump-inhibitors in medical intensive care unit settings. The article also outlines and provides some of the medications that are used by adults especially at the age of sixty-five years and above.

According to the authors of this article, polypharmacy is common among the elderly in the society, and around forty percent of older adults usually suffer from intellectual disability due to polypharmacy-based problems. This is because polypharmacy problems are associated with increased drug taking at a higher cost and reduce the mobility and cognition levels of the adults.  The article also proposes that the use of statin, paracetamol, aspirin, as well as ACE inhibitors and antidepressants, can help in reducing polypharmacy problems. The ACE inhibitors are very important in reducing high levels of hypertension which is common among older adults in the society.

Therefore, this is an informative and research-based article that describes various problems associated with polypharmacy among older adults.

Corcoran, M. E. (1997). Polypharmacy in the older patient with cancer. Cancer Control, 4, 419-428.

This article mainly describes and discusses the major diseases associated with polypharmacy among older adults including cancer, diabetes as well as other clinical depression and obesity health problems. According to this article, the majority of individuals facing negative consequences of polypharmacy health problems include older adults, psychiatric patients as well as patients that usually take more than five drugs at the same time. Cancer patients usually take multiple drugs and are more likely to experience polypharmacy problems according to this article. The pain management drugs taken by cancer patients especially older adults also increase their polypharmacy negative consequences, and this reduces their life quality.

In that sense, this is a research-based and informative article towards the topic of polypharmacy among older adults especially among cancer patients. The article also provides various possible health care strategies and interventions that can be used in order to control cancer among older patients.

Fick, D. M., Cooper, J. W., Wade, W. E., Waller, J. L., Maclean, J. R., & Beers, M. H. (2003). Updating the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: Results of a US Consensus Panel of Experts. Archives of internal medicine, 163(22), 2716-2724.

This article mainly outlines and discusses some of the medical interventions that can be used in promoting quality of health among older adults in various countries including United States. According to the authors of the article, inappropriate medication among older adults usually causes high medical risk among them dealing with high mobility. Furthermore, the authors of the article posit that taking five or more medicines among older adults is usually associated with polypharmacy negative health consequences. Poor medical and clinical procedures also promote polypharmacy effects such as high mental and cognitive problems as well as high mortality rates among older adults in the society.

The article proposes possible and various medical practices of reducing polypharmacy effects such as reducing complex and high drug interactions among older adults in the society.  Older adults should be advised to take one drug at a time according to this article.

Hajjar, E. R., Cafiero, A. C., & Joseph, H. T. (2007). Polypharmacy in elderly patients. The American journal of geriatric pharmacotherapy, 5(4), 345-351.

This is a research-based and informative article that describes and outlines factors increasing polypharmacy negative health effects among the elderly patients. According to this article, low medication levels among the elderly in the society can reduce medical problems and risks associated with polypharmacy such as cancer, obesity and diabetes among the elderly in the society. The authors of this article argue that proper medicine management can improve and promote the quality of life among the elderly in the society especially by reducing overuse and under use of drugs. Unnecessary and multiple medications are common among adults and elderly patients, and proper epidemiology of the problem is necessary in the society. The major risks factors associated with Polypharmacy among elderly patients include high mortality rates and geriatric syndrome. Provision of non-pharmacological therapies and educating patients about negative effects of polypharmacy can be used in reducing polypharmacy problems in the society

Kron, M. (2004). Reviewed Work: Familiar Medicine: Everyday Health Knowledge and Practice in Today’s Vietnam by David Craig. The Journal of Asian Studies, 63, 548-549.

This article provides various medical and health care interventions that can be provided to older adults in order to reduce control and prevent polypharmacy health care problems. This article supports that polypharmacy is a common problem among the elderly patients in the society and argues that proper analysis of medical history of older adults is necessary. According to the article, health care providers in the society play a major role towards the control and prevention of polypharmacy effects among older patients. In that sense, health care professionals should be aware of various risks and medical problems associated with multiple drug prescription to older patients. Too much drugs on the body impairs the correct functioning of the body leading to poor body organ system coordination in the body. Over-the-counter medications should be avoided among elderly patients since they have negative medical side effects. Drug distribution in the body reduces by age, and the elderly should avoid multiple medications.

Therefore, this is research-based and relevant article that provides a number of medical knowledge base systems of controlling and preventing polypharmacy effects among older adults in the society.

Midlov, P., Eriksson, T., & Kragh, A. (2014). Drug-related problems in the elderly (2009th Ed.). Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London, New York: Springer.

This is a relevant article towards the polypharmacy problems among older adults. According to the article, drug-related problems are common among the elderly in the society especially among older adults within sixty-five years and above.   Educational awareness strategies can be used by medical professionals in order to help older adults reduce and control medication among older adults. Proper nutrition and patient education especially concerning medicine and drug use can also be provided to patients to reduce and control polypharmacy among the elderly. The authors of the article also argue that proper communication and periodic medication reviews between health care providers and patients can be used in order to identify potential medications problems and risks. Physiological changes constitute some of the major factors increasing high drug-drug interaction among older adults in the society.

According to this article, proper management of drugs and medication among older adults can reduce and control health problems such as diabetes and hypertension medical conditions.   The most commonly abused drugs include aspirin and acetaminophen. The use of antibiotics, steroids and diuretics is also common among older adults in the society.  The article also explores and outlines the major health care problems related to multiple medication and drug use among the elderly such as drug-drug interactions.

Therefore, this is research-based, relevant and informative article that includes a number of statistical data and information related to polypharmacy health negative side effects.  For example, the article indicates that 57% of women and 44% usually take more than five medications per week in the United States alone.

References

Beaulieu, M. M., David Williamson MSc, B., Gilbert Pichette, M. F., & Jean Lachaine, P. (2007, November). Risk of Clostridium difficile–Associated Disease among Patients Receiving Proton?Pump Inhibitors in a Quebec Medical Intensive Care Unit. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 28, 1305-1307.

Corcoran, M. E. (1997). Polypharmacy in the older patient with cancer. Cancer Control, 4, 419-428.

Fick, D. M., Cooper, J. W., Wade, W. E., Waller, J. L., Maclean, J. R., & Beers, M. H. (2003). Updating the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: Results of a US Consensus Panel of Experts. Archives of internal medicine, 163(22), 2716-2724.

Hajjar, E. R., Cafiero, A. C., & Joseph, H. T. (2007). Polypharmacy in elderly patients. The American journal of geriatric pharmacotherapy, 5(4), 345-351.

Kron, M. (2004, May). Reviewed Work: Familiar Medicine: Everyday Health Knowledge and Practice in Today’s Vietnam by David Craig. The Journal of Asian Studies, 63, 548-549.

Midlov, P., Eriksson, T., & Kragh, A. (2014). Drug-related problems in the elderly (2009th Ed.). Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London, New York: Springer.