Elderly population adverse drug reactions

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Although older Americans (ages 65 and older) account for less than 15% of the population, they consume about 33% of all prescription medications and 40% of nonprescription drugs.Poor adherence in the elderly often leads to additional physician or emergency department visits, hospitalization, and uncontrolled chronic diseases. One study estimated that about 17% of elderly hospitalizations are due to adverse medication reactions—nearly six times the rate in the nonelderly population. 

The geriatric population is arbitrarily defined as comprising subjects 65 years or older. The older the population likely to use the drug, the more important it is to include the older age range, 75 years and older. For drugs used to treat diseases not unique to, but present in, the elderly, a minimum of 100 subjects usually would allow detection of clinically important differences between the elderly and younger subjects with respect to efficacy as well as adverse reactions. 

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