Pines is among the 40 percent of Americans who are 65 years of age or older and take more than five prescription drugs. Although older individuals account for the majority of prescription drug users, they are hardly alone. More than four billion prescriptions were filled at U.S. pharmacies in 2014—an average of nearly 13 per citizen at that time.
The need to take multiple drugs poses a special risk that too often goes unrecognized by doctors and patients: certain combinations of medicines (prescription or otherwise) cause side effects that do not arise when the individual substances are taken alone. Studies published over the past two decades suggest that such “drug interactions” cause more than 30 percent of side effects from medications. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical manufacturers cannot always predict when a new agent will mix badly with other medicines—not to mention supplements or foods—and so unexpected deaths are sometimes the first sign of danger.
Not all side effects are lethal, but the widespread danger from drug interactions is prompting new efforts to prevent people from taking risky combinations...
