No More Splitting Pills! Study Calls for Low Dose Pills for Seniors
An Ontario study is calling for pharmaceutical companies to make low dose tablets of commonly prescribed drugs for seniors.
The population-based study, conducted by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, was published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. It is the first comprehensive look at low dose prescribing in a large population of seniors.
Using the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan database, investigators at Baycrest identified over 133,000 adults aged 65 and older who were prescribed either thiazide diuretics or beta blockers over a one-year period from 1995 to 1996.
The study found that of the 120,000 seniors in Ontario who were repeat users of thiazide diuretics, more than a quarter (26%) were dispensed a dose lower than the standard pills produced by pharmaceutical companies.
The "mismatch" between dosage prescribing and dosage formulations means doctors rely on patients and pharmacists to split standard dose tablets. Splitting pills, particularly when done by older patients who may have impaired vision or motor skills, may increase drug error or lead to frustration and non-compliance.
