Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Australasian Journal on Ageing

ISSN

14406381

Volume

39

Issue

3

First Page

287

Last Page

291

Publisher

Wiley

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

31160

Comments

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Bright, S., Milroy, J., Walsh, K., & Blatchford, E. (2020). Medication use among older Australians seeking alcohol and other drug treatment. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 39(3), 287-291, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12756. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.

Abstract

Objective:

To describe the use of medications that interact with alcohol or for which alcohol reduces the medication's efficacy in older adults consuming alcohol at hazardous levels.

Method:

Retrospective file audit of patients discharged from Australia's only older adult-specific alcohol and other drug treatment service.

Results:

Seventy-two patients aged between 58 years and 87 years (M = 65.88; SD = 5.67) drinking alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels were taking between 1 and 12 pharmaceutical drugs (M = 4.03; SD = 2.42). The majority (92%) of patients were taking at least one medication that placed them at high risk of serious adverse side effects when consumed with alcohol. The efficacy of most patients’ (97%) medication was deemed to be significantly reduced when consumed with alcohol.

Conclusions:

Among older adults who consume alcohol at hazardous levels, many take prescribed medications that adversely interact with alcohol or have reduced efficacy when consumed alongside alcohol. Targeted education is required for patients and health-care workers to mitigate these risks.

DOI

10.1111/ajag.12756

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