Doctors Should Keep An Eye On Your Mix Of Medication. If They Don’t, You Should.

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A KFF Health News report highlighted how older adults can accumulate prescriptions that may no longer be needed or may interact with other drugs. Geriatrician K. Eric De Jonge and journalist Paula Span urge patients and caregivers to ask clinicians to review medication lists; the report does not establish that a particular number of prescriptions causes side effects for every patient.

A KFF Health News report discussed on WAMU’s Health Hub on Sept. 30 urged older adults and their caregivers to ask clinicians to review their medication lists, as prescriptions can accumulate over time and some may no longer be needed or may contribute to side effects when combined. The report cited a geriatrician and journalist Paula Span, who said patients should be proactive about checking whether medicines remain appropriate.

Physician K. Eric De Jonge, director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said the likelihood of some form of side effect or intolerance rises among people taking multiple prescription drugs. He said that once a person takes six or seven prescription medications, there is a “nearly 100% chance” of some side effect or intolerance. The source attributes this estimate to De Jonge; it does not provide the underlying study, define the outcomes, or say that every patient taking that number of medicines will experience a problem.

Span, who writes The New Old Age column for The New York Times and KFF Health News, discussed common medicines, including aspirin and benzodiazepines, that some older patients may be overusing. The report says prescriptions that are no longer necessary can combine with other drugs and create concerning side effects. It does not identify specific patients or document a particular drug interaction in the segment.

The practical advice from the report is to ask a doctor or pharmacist to review all current medicines and check whether each is still appropriate. That means raising questions about prescriptions a patient has taken for a long time, rather than stopping a drug independently. The source emphasizes that patients and caregivers can speak up when seeking a medication review.

Why Medication Reviews Matter

A medication list can change as new health needs arise, while earlier prescriptions may continue by habit. Reviewing the full list gives a patient and clinician a chance to check whether each medicine is still needed and whether the overall combination may be contributing to unwanted effects. This is particularly relevant for older adults, the population at the center of Span’s discussion.

The report’s message is not that several prescriptions are automatically unsafe. Rather, it calls attention to the need for individual review and follow-up. A patient who experiences a possible side effect, or whose care involves several prescribers, can bring an up-to-date list to a clinician or pharmacist and ask for it to be assessed. Decisions about changing or stopping treatment should be made with a qualified professional.

How Prescriptions Can Accumulate

The report describes a familiar pattern: medications are prescribed in response to evidence and a patient’s needs at a particular time, but those needs and the available evidence can change. Span said patients may fall into a routine and not question whether they still need a medicine. She also cautioned that clinicians may not always be current on the latest research.

That observation is a reason to have an ongoing conversation, not proof that an individual clinician has missed a risk. The report’s advice is to check in with a doctor and, where useful, a pharmacist about the full medication mix. It does not provide a new clinical guideline or recommend that older adults stop a particular class of drugs.

““Once you get to six or seven prescription medications, you get a nearly 100% chance of some sort of side effect or intolerance.””

— K. Eric De Jonge, director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Limits of the Report’s Evidence

The source does not state the year of the Sept. 30 WAMU discussion, provide the study or data behind De Jonge’s estimate, or explain how “side effect or intolerance” was measured. The figure should therefore be understood as his attributed statement, not as a detailed risk calculation for an individual patient.

The report also does not identify which specific medication combinations pose risks for a given person, how often reviews should occur, or whether any particular prescription should be stopped. Those questions depend on an individual’s health history and treatment plan, and the source directs readers to consult clinicians or pharmacists.

Ask for a Full Medication Review

The next step described in the report is a conversation with a doctor or pharmacist. Patients and caregivers can bring a current list of prescriptions and ask whether each is still needed, whether the combination should be reviewed, and whether any changes are appropriate. The source gives no announced policy change, formal review schedule, or later milestone; the immediate action it recommends is an individualized check with a health professional.

Key Questions

What is the report asking older adults to do?

It urges patients and caregivers to ask a doctor or pharmacist to review their current medications and confirm that each remains appropriate.

Does taking six or seven prescriptions mean someone will definitely have side effects?

No. De Jonge said the chance of some side effect or intolerance is “nearly 100%” at that medication count, but the source does not provide supporting study details or establish that every individual will have a problem.

Should a patient stop a medication they think is no longer needed?

The report advises checking with a doctor or pharmacist. It does not tell patients to stop medicines on their own or recommend stopping any specific drug.

Which medications did the discussion mention?

Span discussed common medicines including aspirin and benzodiazepines as drugs that some older patients may be overusing. The source does not give individualized advice about either medicine.

Source: rss