Review of Expedient Pharmacotherapy in Geriatrics

Overview

In the author’s previous papers attention was drawn to problems of pharmacotherapy and reduced compliance in geriatrics. With regard to the considerable comorbidity in old age, frequently excessive therapy is encountered, in other instances inadequate therapy, e.g. in case of poor compliance of the patient or an asymptomatic course of disease. Sometimes, however, even when treatment of an old person is correct, a so-called iatropathogenic effect of drugs is encountered. This involves undesirable effects of drugs, possible therapeutic polypragmasies and development of another disease.In the submitted review the author mentions some general peculiarities of pharmacotherapy, changes of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, metabolism and excretion of drugs in old age. He presents also simple examples of drug interactions and undesirable effects of drugs from geriatric practice, incl. iatropathogenic effects.

Key words:
excessive geriatric pharmacotherapy - inadequate geriatric pharmacotherapy - changes of pharmacokinetics - pharmacodynamics - drug polypragmasy - interactions - iatropathogenic effect of drugs.