Polypharmacy Flashcards
What is polypharmacy?
Not just about numbers
More to do with the indications for conditions
Why do we have polypharmacy?
Pain
Comorbidities
Age
Adverse effects of polypharmacy?
Increased falls Renal impairment Bleeding Delirium Risk of death Constipation
Issues related to polypharmacy
Cost
Missed prescription: miss due to already on lots of drugs
Why is polypharmacy important?
Because it’s potentially reversible
Can prevent if thought of early.
Why are elderly more at risk from polypharmacy?
Homeostasis
Altered pharmacodynamics
Altered pharmacokinetics
Why younger person get poly pharmacy?
Addiction
Psychiatric
Diabetes
Distribution affected by age how?
Less muscle, less fluid (dehydrated), more fat
How does more fat affect pharmacokinetics?
Sequestered into fat and takes longer to get rid of it
How does being ‘dryer’ affects drugs in elderly?
Higher serum
Lower volume of distribution
How is albumin affected in polypharmacy in elderly
Negative acute phase reactant
Albumin decreases, less bound to protein and more serum levels.
4 phases of pharmacokinetics?
Ingestion
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretions
Metabolism in elderly of polypharmacy?
Reduction in hepatic blood flow (affects 1st pass metabolism)
Oxidative pathways affected
Excretion in elderly polypharmacy
What formula for
All elderly are renal insufficient
Cockcroft-gault formula for renal impairment in elderly
Pharmacodynamics affects elderly how?
Inhalation all
Opioids
Exaggerated effect