1.1 Million Elderly Taken to ED for Adverse Medication Reactions

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related emergenc

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. Their latest report in February focused on Emergency Department visits that involve adverse reactions to medications among older adults in 2008.

In 2008, an estimated 1.1 million emergency department (ED) visits were made by adults aged 50 or older for adverse reactions to medications; more than half by those 65+.
Central nervous system (CNS) drugs (e.g., pain relievers and drugs used to treat anxiety and insomnia) were involved in almost one fourth (24.3 percent) of ED visits.
Nearly two thirds of older adults were treated and released (64.2 percent), and nearly one third were admitted to the hospital (32.9 percent).

You can help prevent drug-drug interactions by:

informing physicians, nurses, and mental health care providers of all medications, supplements, and vitamins you take.
Make sure that any medical records are shared with all physicians, including specialists.
Use one pharmacy to handle all their prescriptions.
Advise your pharmacy of any adverse reactions to prescription or OTC medications.

Caregivers need to be knowledgeable about the potential side effects of both prescription and over-the-counter medications and be aware of any past history of adverse reactions to particular pharmaceuticals and medications.