Geriatric Prescribing: Safe Medication Use for Older Adults

When it comes to geriatric prescribing, the specialized practice of selecting and adjusting medications for older adults. Also known as aging pharmacotherapy, it’s not just about treating disease—it’s about keeping seniors safe as their bodies change. A 70-year-old doesn’t process drugs the same way a 30-year-old does. Their liver slows down. Their kidneys filter less. Fat replaces muscle, changing how drugs spread through the body. These aren’t minor tweaks—they’re major shifts that turn normal doses into overdose risks.

That’s why elderly drug metabolism, how the aging body breaks down and gets rid of medicines is the foundation of safe prescribing. Take warfarin, for example. A slight change in vitamin K intake can throw INR levels off balance, and older adults often eat the same foods every day—making consistency critical. Or consider nasal decongestants like pseudoephedrine. They’re fine for a young person with a cold, but in someone with high blood pressure and kidney issues, they can spike heart rate and trigger a stroke. Even common painkillers like acetaminophen, which seems harmless, can quietly weaken bones over time in seniors who take them daily.

And then there’s polypharmacy, the use of five or more medications at once. It’s common. A senior might be on blood pressure pills, a statin, a diabetes drug, a sleep aid, and a pain reliever—all prescribed by different doctors. No one’s looking at the whole picture. That’s how cyclosporine’s kidney damage or ambrisentan’s liver strain slips through the cracks. The real problem isn’t the drugs themselves—it’s the lack of coordination. Many of the posts here show how one medication interacts with another, how kidney function drops with age, or how switching from generic to brand can suddenly break a stable routine.

What you’ll find in this collection isn’t theory. It’s what actually happens in real lives. How avanafil works better with walking. Why Clarinex beats older antihistamines for seniors who get dizzy. How Primaquine can be deadly if you have G6PD deficiency—something often missed in older patients. These aren’t abstract concepts. They’re daily decisions that determine whether someone stays independent or ends up in the hospital.

Geriatric prescribing isn’t about giving less. It’s about giving smarter. It’s knowing when to stop a drug as much as when to start one. It’s checking if a medication is still needed after six months, or if a new one is just adding to the pile. The posts below give you the facts you need to ask the right questions—whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or a clinician. No fluff. Just what works, what doesn’t, and why.