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A KFF Health News report featuring Paula Span’s Sept. 30 appearance on WAMU’s Health Hub highlights how prescriptions can accumulate as people age. Geriatrician K. Eric De Jonge warned that people taking six or seven prescription medicines face a high likelihood of some side effect or intolerance; patients and caregivers are urged to review medications with a clinician, not stop them on their own.
A KFF Health News report about older adults’ medication use urges patients and caregivers to ask clinicians whether each prescription is still needed and whether drugs remain safe in combination. The report draws on Paula Span’s Sept. 30 appearance on WAMU’s Health Hub and a warning from geriatrician K. Eric De Jonge about side effects among people taking multiple prescriptions.
Prescriptions can accumulate over time as health conditions and treatment plans change. The report says medicines that are no longer necessary may remain in a patient’s routine and interact with other drugs, contributing to concerning side effects. It discusses common medications including aspirin and benzodiazepines, but does not provide a complete list of drugs or individual risk estimates.
De Jonge, director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said people taking six or seven prescription medications have a nearly 100% chance of experiencing some kind of side effect or intolerance. That is his stated estimate, as quoted in the report; the supplied material does not give the study, population, or method behind the figure.
Span, who writes The New Old Age column for The New York Times and KFF Health News, said treatment decisions can lag behind evolving evidence, while patients may continue medicines out of habit. Experts and pharmacists cited in the report recommend checking with a doctor that current medications remain appropriate. The report does not advise patients to stop or change a prescription without medical guidance.
Why Medication Reviews Matter
A medication review can help patients and clinicians identify prescriptions that may no longer fit a person’s needs, as well as possible side effects or interactions across a regimen. That is particularly relevant when a treatment has continued for years or when several clinicians are involved in a patient’s care. The report frames review as a shared task: clinicians should revisit treatment, and patients and caregivers can raise the question.
The warning is not that every person taking several medicines will experience harm. De Jonge’s estimate is attributed to him, and the source material does not provide supporting study details. Still, the broader issue is practical: a medication list can change without every older prescription being reconsidered. A conversation with a clinician can clarify what each medicine is for and whether the plan needs reassessment.
Because some medicines may carry risks when changed abruptly, the report’s advice is to check with a doctor rather than make medication changes independently. Patients can bring an up-to-date list of prescriptions and other medicines to that discussion, including products prescribed by different clinicians.
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How Prescriptions Can Accumulate
The report describes a familiar pattern: a medication is prescribed based on the evidence and circumstances at the time, then continues as a patient’s health or the available evidence changes. Span said patients can fall into a routine and may not ask whether they still need a drug. Clinicians, too, may not always be aware of newer research, she said.
Span’s comments came during a Sept. 30 segment on WAMU’s Health Hub. The discussion included medicines such as aspirin and benzodiazepines that some older patients may be overusing, according to the source. It does not claim that these medicines are inappropriate for everyone, nor does it give specific treatment instructions for individual patients.
“Once you get to six or seven prescription medications, you get a nearly 100% chance of some sort of side effect or intolerance.”
— K. Eric De Jonge, director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
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What the Report Does Not Establish
The source material does not identify the research underlying De Jonge’s estimate, the patient group it describes, or how side effects and intolerance were measured. It also does not quantify how often medication reviews lead to prescriptions being changed or specify which medicines should be stopped, continued, or reduced.
Whether a particular drug remains appropriate depends on an individual’s health, treatment goals, and other medicines. The report does not provide case-specific advice or establish that aspirin or benzodiazepines are unsuitable for all older adults. Patients should discuss concerns with a qualified clinician before changing a medication.
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Bring the Full Medication List
The next step described in the report is a conversation with a doctor about whether the medicines a patient takes are still right for them. Patients and caregivers can prepare by bringing a current list of prescriptions and asking what each is for, whether it remains needed, and whether it may interact with another medicine. The source gives no schedule for routine reviews or announced follow-up findings, so the timing and outcome of any review will depend on the patient and clinician.
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Key Questions
What is the main advice in the report?
Ask a doctor to review whether current prescriptions are still appropriate, particularly when a person takes several medicines. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without discussing it with a qualified clinician.
What did K. Eric De Jonge say about taking six or seven prescriptions?
De Jonge said people taking six or seven prescription medications have a nearly 100% chance of some sort of side effect or intolerance. The supplied report material does not explain the evidence or method behind that estimate.
Does the report say older adults should stop taking aspirin or benzodiazepines?
No. It mentions aspirin and benzodiazepines in a discussion of medicines some older patients may overuse, but does not say they are inappropriate for everyone or give instructions to stop them. Any change should be discussed with a clinician.
What should a patient bring to a medication review?
A current list of medicines can help a clinician review the full regimen, including prescriptions from different providers. Patients can ask what each medicine is for and whether it remains suitable alongside their other treatments.
Source: rss
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