Pharmaceuticals

Do the elderly need help managing their prescriptions?

According to this study, I would certainly say yes!

“The study reviewed pharmacy claims from the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) book of business for 1.83 million patients taking statins, and 1.48 million patients taking angiotensen converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) or rennin angiotensen receptor blockers (ARBs) between June 1, 2006 and May 30, 2007…

During a three-month period, patients filled prescriptions for an average of 11 medications representing an average of six different drug classes, the researchers said.  ‘More striking, during this 90-day time frame, 10 percent of these patients filled prescriptions for 23 or more medications . . . and 11 or more different drug classes, had prescriptions written by four or more prescribers, filled these prescriptions at two pharmacies and made 11 or more visits to those pharmacies,’ they said.”

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