title: Medication safety: a protocol for nursing action. NICHE Faculty.
abstract: Medication consumption represents a significant source of adverse events, therapeutic misadventure, and toxicity to older Americans. Estimates indicate that as many as 25% to 40% of all U.S. prescriptions are written for older people. Hospital admission rates for drug-related problems and toxicity in elders approach 33% in some studies. This article addresses some of the physiological changes associated with aging and their effects on the absorption, distribution, and metabolic fate of common medications in elders. High-risk medications are identified, and strategies for combating their adverse effects are suggested.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Foreman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D014018:Tissue Distribution