Some Principles of Medication in Geriatrics *

In geriatrics, inappropriate and incorrect use of drugs is reflected in a higher percentage of untoward effects. Most reactions are identified readily but some are lost in the induced disturbances of physiologic balance that occur more readily in the aged. Improper dosage, injudicious methods of administration, and lack of awareness of drug interactions are common and are associated with failure to quantitate the reactive capacities of aging body resources. The paucity of didactic instruction and the difficulty which aged patients encounter in observing a medical regimen add to the problems of therapy. The fact that aging alters drug effects and that drug effects alter senescent functions emphasizes the need to be familiar with the roster of confirmed pharmacologic data. Observance of such regulations would improve treatment of the individual patient. Medication schedules must be in line with recognized levels of normality in senescence. These precautions will reduce the chances of initiating primary or sequential mishaps when drugs are administered to the elderly who are more susceptible to side effects and less likely to be responsive to reparative measures.