Prescription Drugs and the Elderly in B.C.
- 1 January 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement
- Vol. 7 (3) , 174-182
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0714980800007893
Abstract
Persons aged 65 and older comprise about 9–12% of the population of industrialized countries but consume 25–30% of prescribed drugs. This high consumption may be due to an increase in disease and chronic illness and/or the result of over prescription.The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of prescription drugs by the population of B.C. aged 65 and older. Using B.C. Pharmacare data for 1984, the cost and number of prescriptions were analysed, comparing consumption by the mobile elderly with that of the elderly in nursing homes. Both populations were found to receive a high number of prescriptions per person, particularly in the Central Nervous System therapeutic class.The results indicate the need for further study into the prescription of drugs for both elderly groups, but particularly those in nursing homes.Keywords
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