Search resultsPotential for alcohol and prescription drug interactions in older people
Title
Potential for alcohol and prescription drug interactions in older people
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2005
Authors
Journal
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Volume
53
Issue
11
Pagination
1930 - 1936
Date published
2005
ISBN
00028614 (ISSN)
Keywords
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, alcohol, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, Alcohol-drug interactions, angiotensin receptor antagonist, anticoagulant agent, anticonvulsive agent, antidepressant agent, antidiabetic agent, antihistaminic agent, antihypertensive agent, antiinfective agent, antineoplastic agent, antitussive agent, anxiolytic agent, beta adrenergic receptor blocking agent, calcium channel blocking agent, coagulating agent, Concomitant use of alcohol and prescription drugs, controlled study, Cross-Sectional Studies, data base, demography, drug alcohol interaction, drug exposure, Drug Interactions, drug use, Elderly, electrolyte, Ethanol, Female, gastrointestinal agent, Health Surveys, hormone, human, Humans, hypnotic agent, Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services, lithium, lowest income group, major clinical study, male, mass screening, narcotic analgesic agent, neuroleptic agent, nonsteroid antiinflammatory agent, Pennsylvania, Pharmaceutical Preparations, prescription, Prescription drug use, Prescriptions, Drug, prevalence, review, risk assessment, Risk Factors, sedative agent, socioeconomics, spasmolytic agent, State Health Plans, tranquilizer, United States, vasodilator agent
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To examine the patterns and prevalence of concomitant alcohol and alcohol-interactive (AI) drug use in older people. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of survey and prescription claims data. SETTING: The Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PA-PACE) program, a state-funded program providing prescription benefits to older people with low to moderate incomes. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 83,321 PA-PACE cardholders (age range 65-106) who were using any prescription medications at the time of survey completion. MEASUREMENTS: All AI drugs were identified using a database of medication warning labels obtained from First DataBank. Prescription drug claims were used to characterize AI drug exposure according to therapeutic class of prescription drug use. A mail survey of PA-PACE cardholders was used to examine alcohol use, as well as sociodemographic and health factors associated with concomitant use of alcohol and AI drugs. RESULTS: Seventy-seven percent of all prescription drug users were exposed to AI medications, with significant variation in exposure and concomitant alcohol use according to therapeutic class. Overall, 19% of AI drug users reported concomitant alcohol use, compared with 26% of non-AI drug users (P <.001). Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that certain groups of older people, including younger older people, men, and those with higher educational levels, were at greater risk for concomitant exposure to alcohol and AI drugs. CONCLUSION: Many older people use alcohol in combination with AI prescription drugs. Clinicians should warn every patient who is prescribed an AI drug about alcohol-drug interactions, especially those at high risk for concomitant exposure.