Many older adults routinely ignore their scheduled antibiotic instructions. This news comes from a recent study carried out by researchers at the University of Michigan. The seniors that were polled were in the 50-80 age bracket.
Twenty percent of the respondents said they see no problem taking leftover antibiotics. They don’t check the expiration date on the label, nor do they believe they should first call their doctor. Physicians say this is risky. In addition, 40 percent expect that their doctor will prescribe an antibiotic for their cold. However, these medications, don’t work on colds and other illnesses caused by viruses; antibiotics fight infections.
In addition, 13 percent said they had leftover pills from their last antibiotic prescription. This, even though most prescriptions require the patient to take all doses of the drug. The reason they gave for hoarding the pills — was in case they or a family member developed an infection. Only 20 percent of the respondents disposed of the pills safely.
Older Adults: Caution With Drugs Required
Over 50 percent of respondents said doctors overprescribe the infection-fighting drugs, but 23 percent said physicians don’t prescribe the drugs when they should.
The researchers suggest that seniors need to be better educated on the risks of taking antibiotics that have expired.
Furthermore, the report cautions that no one should hang on to old antibiotics just in case they or a loved one needs them. This carries many risks, including drug interactions, side effects, as well as resistance. Different antibiotics treat different types of infections. There is no one size fits all.
The data suggest that millions of antibiotics are sitting in medicine cabinets across the country. Law enforcement organizations, pharmacies and health care facilities offer national drug-disposal programs, with drop-off days or drop-off bins for all forms of medication.