People used to take a single pill when they were sick, and stop it once they had recovered. Not any more. Today people are chronically overmedicated: they take multiple medications (often 10 or more) for years, if not a lifetime. In 2006 in the US, 31% of older adults were taking 5 or more drugs a year. By 2011, that number had increased to 36%. There are few to no studies showing the long-term consequences of polypharmacy, but we know it increases the risk of falls and hospitalizations. How can we avoid the prescribing cascade where patients are given more medication to counter the side effects of the original medication?

99 -min. DVD