Drug Use and Misuse among the Elderly

Abstract

There is no dearth of speculation about the use and misuse of drugs among older persons in American society. Scattered reports have indicated that the elderly increasingly use and misuse a wide variety of drugs, and in very recent years much public attention and concern has been directed toward this problem in the older population. Factual information, however, particularly incidence of use and factors related to elderly drug misuse, is scarce. This paper presents both a review of the relevant literature and a summation of available research evidence with particular reference to patterns of use of legal drugs, the types and extent of misuse of legal drugs, and the issue of illegal drug abuse by the elderly. Conclusions are provided as to what is known at this time regarding elderly drug use and misuse as well as some suggestions regarding future research that might contribute to an understanding of drug-using behavior among the elderly.