In today’s Health Alert, a new study finds more than one in five older adults may be at risk of a potentially dangerous drug interaction. The consequences can be serious, leading to unplanned hospitalizations and even death.
As a physician myself, I see how complicated medication lists can become. A patient may have prescriptions from several doctors, along with over-the-counter drugs and supplements. And it can be challenging for patients to keep track of everything.
Now, this study looked at nearly 5,000 adults ages 62 to 85. Researchers compared medication use from 2015-2016 with 2021-2023. The good news is the risk of a potentially major drug interaction went down - from about 26% to 22%.
However, polypharmacy - which means a person is taking five or more prescribed medications at the same time - went up for seniors. It increased from 31% to nearly 36%. Taking that many medications can increase the risk of harmful interactions.
And it’s not just medications. The number of seniors taking five or more dietary supplements also increased, from under 13% to nearly 17%. Many don’t realize that supplements can potentially interact with medications, too.
As for the most common medications involved in potentially major interactions, they included antidepressants, statins and blood thinners.
How dangerous can these interactions be? And what can seniors do to protect themselves?
Drug interactions can change how a medication works. Sometimes one drug can affect how the liver breaks down another, making it stay in your body too long and become too strong. Or it could make it leave faster, reducing how well it works. Some medications can actually block another drug, so it doesn’t work properly. And others can have similar effects, and when they’re combined, those effects can be amplified.
So it can become serious. In fact, the FDA received about 63,000 reports of serious adverse events attributed to drug interactions in people 65 and older between 2015 and 2025. Unfortunately, about 10% of those reports were fatal.
That’s why I tell my patients: keep an updated list of every prescription, over-the-counter medication and supplement you’re taking.
Also, when you’re prescribed a new medication, ask questions like how will this help, what are the side effects, and is there anything you’re currently taking that could interact with it?
I know older patients can have more than one doctor, so it’s important that all of your doctors review your medication and supplement list at your appointments. That review could help prevent a serious problem.
