In addition, pharmacotherapy may be complicated by an elderly patient's inability to purchase or obtain drugs or to comply with drug regimens. Women take more drugs than men because they are on average older and because they use more psychoactive and antiarthritic drugs. At any given time, an average older person uses four to five prescription drugs and two OTC drugs and fills 12 to 17 prescriptions a year. The frail elderly use the most drugs. The type of drug used most often by the elderly varies with the setting.
Many drugs benefit the elderly.
Oral hypoglycemic drugs can improve independence and quality of life while controlling chronic disease. Antihypertensive drugs and influenza vaccines can help prevent or decrease morbidity. Analgesics and antidepressants can control debilitating symptoms. A thorough review of drugs can often reduce the number of drugs used and, according to limited data, improve patient outcomes. Underuse of some drugs is also a significant problem among elderly patients.