State gives unsuitable drugs to elderly

NEARLY a third of state patients over the age of 65 are being given medication known to have serious side effects in the elderly population, a study says.

One such drug, an anti- inflammatory called indomethacin, is known to cause mental disorders.

These findings, which were released two weeks ago, come from a survey conducted in 2002 in Durban. It found that out of 6410 prescriptions handled by a single state pharmacy, 30% included at least one medication considered inappropriate for elderly people.

Repeated attempts to get comment from the Department of Health have been unsuccessful. - Brett Horner