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Doctor’s Orders
Your doctor wants you to stop taking so many medications. Studies show nearly 40% of patients in their 60s take more than five medications. Now more health-care providers are adopting an approach known as de-prescribing to help adults in the U.S. and elsewhere reduce excessive use of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications and supplements. Doctors conduct comprehensive medication reviews, using screening programs to identify possible side effects and interactions, then wean patients off drugs that are unnecessary or where risks outweigh benefits. The body processes many drugs less efficiently as it ages, which can lead to problems with long-term medications. One geriatrician advises, “On a regular basis, patients should be asking their health-care providers, ‘Is this still the right drug for me, and if not, what other drug or nondrug therapies are safer and equally effective?’”
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