090 – More on Avoiding Risky Medications & on Using the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria

Dr. K discusses risky medications and the 2019 Beers Criteria in more details, with a focus on which drugs are most important for older adults to be aware of. She also shares 5 ways you can be proactive, and her favorite resources to help deprescribe risky medications

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In This Episode:

Dr. K provides more information on what’s included in the 2019 update of the American Geriatrics Society AGS Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults, with a focus on which drugs she thinks are most important to avoid. She also addresses which medications are associated with falls, cognitive impairment, and other key conditions. She covers:

How the 2019 Beers Criteria is organized

Options for accessing the 2019 update

Which medications should be avoided in people with memory problems, per the Beers Criteria

Which drugs to avoid or use with caution if you have a history of falls or fractures

Other common risky medications to be aware of

What to know about opioid painkillers and the 2019 Beers Criteria

5 things you can do to be proactive about medications safety in aging

Where to find consumer brochures that can help you discuss deprescribing for the most common risky medications

Related episodes: 

088- Interview: Avoiding Inappropriate Prescribing in Aging & What to Know About the Beers Criteria

073- Anticholinergic Medications & Protecting Brain Health

031- Choosing the Safest Over-the-Counter Painkiller in Aging

046- Interview: Deprescribing & Reducing Risky Medications in Aging

034- Preventing Falls: 10 Types of Medication to Reconsider

Related Resources:

Better Health While Aging

Medications Older Adults Should Avoid or Use with Caution: The American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria (2019 Update)

4 Types of Brain-Slowing Medication to Avoid if You’re Worried About Memory

How to Choose the Safest Over-the-Counter Painkiller for Older Adults

Deprescribing: How to be on Less Medication for Healthier Aging

Preventing Falls: 10 Types of Medications to Review if You’re Concerned About Falling

5 Step Process to Prepare for a Medication Review

Healthinaging.org

Medications Older Adults Should Avoid or Use With Caution

10 Medications Older Adults Should Avoid Or Use With Caution

What to do & What to Ask if a Medication You Take is Listed in the AGS Beers Criteria List

Canadian Deprescribing Network

The EMPOWER Brochures (from the Canadian Deprescribing Network):

Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs)

Antipsychotic medication as sleeping pills or for Dementia

Medications for allergies and itchiness (First-generation antihistamines)

Medication for type-2 diabetes (Sulfonylurea diabetes medication)

Sleeping pills & anti-anxiety medication (Sedative-hypnotic medication, such as Ativan, Ambien, and others)

Stomach pills for acid reflux (Proton-pump inhibitors)

Daily Aspirin Therapy: Understand the Benefits & Risks

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