By Frank Goldman, PharmD.
The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is an agency of the FDA – the Federal Drug Administration – charged with assuring that the drugs available to the American public are safe and effective.
FDA approval means that a medication meets the world’s most rigorous reviews for safety and effectiveness – it’s the gold standard. Among its other activities, the CDER agency continually monitors these medications, from the early stages of drug review and approval and then after they reach the marketplace.
Elderly Americans and their care providers have at their disposal over 10,000 FDA-approved prescription drugs, so the CDER is particularly concerned with making medications safer for older adults. Adults over 65 buy 30 percent of all prescription drugs and 40 percent of all over-the-counter drugs.
Of all the problems older adults face in taking medications, drug interactions are probably the most dangerous. When two or more mix in the body, they may interact with each other and produce uncomfortable and even dangerous side-effects. Two thirds of adults over age 65 use one or more drugs each day and one quarter of them take three.
There is also evidence that older adults tend to be more sensitive to drugs than younger people because of their generally slower metabolism and organ functions. As people age, they lose muscle tissue and gain fat. Their digestive system, liver and kidney functions diminish. All this affects how a drug is absorbed into the bloodstream and reacts in the organs and how quickly it will be eliminated.
Not all combinations of drugs are bad. However, unless supervised by a physician, taking a mixture of medications can be dangerous. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about yours.
Frank Goldman is the McCready Memorial Hospital Pharmacist.
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