Seniors who get information about the risks of taking sleeping pills go on to ask questions about them and are more likely to quit, according to a recent study. Drugs like Valium, Xanax and others in a class called benzodiazepines are not recommended for older people because they can dull reflexes, contribute to falls, play with memory and have been linked with car accidents.
Patients thought to be dependent
Although doctors are aware of this, up to half of them renew prescriptions for older adults because they think their patients are dependent on them and they benefit from them. But researchers wondered whether providing information would be a way to stop seniors from taking the medications.
They got referrals from pharmacists in Montreal to 303 chronic users of sleeping pills aged 65 to 95. They gave half of them a seven-page handout which described the risks of taking the pills and encouraged them to discuss a way to wean themselves off with their doctor or pharmacist.
Patients reduced, stopped consumption
Of those who got the handout, 62 per cent spoke to their health providers about reducing their consumption. Six months later, 27 per cent had stopped taking the medications and another 11 per cent were in the process of tapering their use.
“People are much more powerful than we give them credit for in terms of taking charge of their health,” says Cara Tannenbaum, professor of medicine and pharmacy at the University of Montreal. “I think a little bit of information can go a long way.”
Patients could ‘drive change’
Every patient ages differently and reacts to medication differently, she notes. “So if the patients themselves could go to their health care provider and say ‘I’ve changed. I want to look (and see) if what I’m taking is still good for me.’ The patient could be a real driver of change and safer prescribing.”
“I think it’s quite urgent,” says Tannenbaum. The cost of medication is going up, the population is ageing and their use of medication is increasing dramatically. Studies indicate 40 per cent of the emergency hospitalizations due to medication side-effects are preventable.
“So a lot of information is coming out that’s saying ‘Red light. Stop. Let’s take a look at what we’ve been doing and whether it’s what we should still be doing.’”
The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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