PHARMACEUTICAL ATTENTION: STRATEGIES FOR THE RATIONAL USE OF MEDICATIONS IN THE ELDERLY

Abstract

The use of medications is frequent in any age group, however it is apparent that the elderly use a greater number of medications, and with an increase in the population of elderly people, it is necessary that attention be focused on these patients, who are large consumers of different types of drugs where some with medical prescriptions and others purchased on their own and drug-related morbidity and mortality is a major public health problem. The aim of this study is to emphasize the importance of professional pharmaceutical care in elderly patients who use polypharmacy, a practice of pharmaceutical care to reduce preventable problems related to pharmacotherapy. This article discusses the importance of pharmaceutical care as an agent to promotet the rational use of medications.