A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has found that the number of older adult hospital admissions for drug-related injuries has doubled over the past decade. The rate of admissions for adults ages 45 and older who were suffering from a medication or other drug-related condition had eventually increased twofold between 1997 and 2008. The drug-related injuries included in the report were caused by anything from prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, to illicit drugs.
Between the 12-year span, hospital admissions for drug-related injuries—such as overdose, delirium, or severe withdrawal symptoms—increased by 117% among adults ages 45 to 64 years, the largest increase of any age group. In 1997, the number of drug-related injuries among adults ages 45–64 years who were treated at U.S. hospitals was 30,100; by 2008, this number grew to 65,400. The rate of drug-related admissions among other older adult groups also increased during this time, including that of adults ages 65 to 84 years by 96%, and those ages 85 years and older by 87%. Surprisingly, American adults between the ages of 18 to 44 years actually showed a slight decline of 11% during this same time period, according to the report.
The findings of the AHRQ bring attention to an alarming trend—America’s ever-growing dependency on prescription drugs—and those who are likely to be affected by it. The baby boomer generation in particular appears to be most susceptible to drug-related injuries at this time, perhaps in part due to their larger population, the national healthcare industry’s over-reliance on medications, and a lack of sufficient prescription drug monitoring and patient oversight. The number of adult admissions from this age group mostly grew during this time due to large increases in drug overdoses caused by codeine, meperidine, and other opioid pain medications, as well as drug-induced delirium and withdrawal from either narcotic or non-narcotic drugs.
Drug-induced deliriums, although the cause is not always identifiable by the time patients are admitted to a doctor, may be caused by the use of such medications as sleeping pills or urinary incontinence medications, or even nausea and other similar problems among older adults, according to the AHRQ. Withdrawal symptoms can result if a patient abruptly stops taking their prescribed medications, or a sudden decrease in their dosages occurs. After consuming a certain drug for an extended period of time (whether it be prescription pain medications or illicit substances), an individual can develop an addiction, which leads to withdrawal should they suddenly reduce their drug intake. Overdose—or drug poisoning—can occur if patients accidentally or intentionally misuse their prescriptions (especially opioid medications), or do not recognize that a medication’s main ingredient is actually hazardous to their health (i.e., it sparks an adverse reaction when combined with other medications).
The AHRQ report, also supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), revealed that the majority of all drug-related injuries treated during hospital admission in 2008 were paid through Medicare or Medicaid (57% of all cases). Patients who paid for the treatment of their drug-related conditions through private insurance constituted 24% of cases, followed by patients who were uninsured (14%) or who used other sources such as TRICARE (5%). Overall, drug-related conditions cost the healthcare industry over $1 billion to treat in 2008 alone.
The AHRQ supports the need for strengthened relationships between clinicians and their patients when it comes to monitoring prescriptions and educating patients on drug safety. Although the average age of hospital admissions continues to rise, the rate of substance abuse and its consequences are substantially growing among all age groups and demographics throughout the U.S. Drug use disorders, addiction, drug-related injuries, overdose, and poisoning deaths have become some of the nation’s greatest public health epidemics in recent years. In addition to legitimately prescribing pain medications and other prescription drugs to patients, physicians also have the obligation of promoting the prevention and intervention of drug misuse in an effort to help better protect the public.
Source: Agency for Heathcare Research and Quality, Hospitalizations for Medication and Illicit Drug-Related Conditions on the Rise among Americans Ages 45 and Older, October 25, 2010
