Beyond five capsules swallowed every day, the risk of drug accident increases considerably. People over 80 consume 10 on average!
According to Drees (1), drug consumption in volume increased by 2.4% in 2011, an increase which may be explained by the overconsumption of the elderly who seem really addicted to drugs! Indeed, according to an investigation by the Parisian hospital Georges Pompidou, revealed by Release, 90% des over 80 consume an average of 10 drugs per day. THEThe average number of therapeutic classes absorbed daily amounts to five in this age group. Unexplained overconsumption, because according to these researchers, “nothing justifies” such an overdose of drugs. The practice is considered dangerous by specialists.
“Beyond three to four molecules taken together, we no longer really know their metabolism, that is, their way of reacting. And, above all, from five drugs, the risk of drug accident increases considerably ”, explains to Liberation Professor Olivier Saint-Jean, head of department at the Georges-Pompidou European hospital, the main author of this work. Thereby, the percentage of elderly subjects at risk of drug accidents would even exceed 80% after 80 years.
This finding is not new. According to a Celtipharm survey (2) revealed in July, 340,000 French people aged 70 and over consume more than ten different drugs each month. Between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, one in ten prescriptions presented to a pharmacist contained more than 5 drugs and this rate climbed to 20% for seniors.
However, several surveys have pointed out in the past the dangers of this overconsumption. The Health Insurance (Cnamts) but also the High Authority of Health (Has) have denounced the abuse of sleeping pills in the elderly population. One third of those over 65 consume these drugs on a regular basis. According to Cnamts, they are exposed to these drugs for an average of seven months! However, to be effective, these products should not be taken for more than 30 days maximum. Beyond that, they can lead to dependence on the product, balance disorders, risk of falls and memory problems.
(1) Department of research, studies, evaluation and statistics
(2) Company specializing in the collection and analysis of health data
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