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A KFF Health News report, based on Paula Span’s Sept. 30 appearance on WAMU’s Health Hub, highlights the risks that can arise when older adults continue taking medicines that may no longer be needed or may interact. Geriatrics physician K. Eric De Jonge described side effects and intolerance as increasingly common among people taking multiple prescriptions; experts advise reviewing medications with a doctor or pharmacist rather than stopping them independently.
A KFF Health News report is urging older adults and caregivers to ask clinicians to review whether each medication is still appropriate, as prescriptions can accumulate and interact over time. The report drew on journalist Paula Span’s Sept. 30 appearance on WAMU’s Health Hub and included warnings from geriatrics physician K. Eric De Jonge about side effects among people taking several prescription drugs.
Span, who writes The New Old Age column for The New York Times and KFF Health News, discussed medicines that some older patients may continue using without revisiting whether they are still needed. The examples she raised included aspirin and benzodiazepines. The report says prescriptions that are no longer necessary can combine with other drugs and contribute to concerning side effects.
De Jonge, director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said the likelihood of a side effect or intolerance rises among patients taking multiple prescriptions. “Once you get to six or seven prescription medications, you get a nearly 100% chance of some sort of side effect or intolerance,” he said. The source does not provide study details or define the population behind that estimate, so it should be understood as his attributed statement, not as a universal risk figure.
Span said patients and caregivers may fall into routines and not question medicines they have taken for a long time. She also noted that prescribing decisions reflect the evidence available at the time, while research continues. The report’s practical advice is to check with a doctor or pharmacist about the full medication list; it does not recommend stopping a prescription without professional guidance.
Why Medication Reviews Matter
A medication review can help patients and clinicians identify drugs that may no longer be suitable, possible interactions, or side effects that warrant attention. This is especially relevant when prescriptions have accumulated over years, or when care is shared among multiple clinicians who may not have the same complete list.
For patients and caregivers, the report’s central point is to take an active role: bring an up-to-date list of prescription medicines and raise questions about why each is being taken and whether it remains appropriate. A clinician or pharmacist can assess the situation against the patient’s health needs and other medicines. Do not stop or change a prescribed drug on your own; decisions about treatment should be made with a qualified professional.
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How Long-Term Prescriptions Accumulate
The report describes a familiar pattern: a medicine is prescribed for a particular reason, and the patient continues taking it even as health needs or available evidence change. New prescriptions may then be added, while older ones remain on the list. Span said patients may not think to revisit a familiar medication, and clinicians may not always be current on newer research relevant to a treatment.
This account focuses on older patients and medication review, not on a claim that every long-term prescription is inappropriate. Aspirin, benzodiazepines, and other medicines have different uses and risks depending on the person and circumstances. The report does not establish that any individual should stop a specific drug; it emphasizes checking the full combination with a clinician.
“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
Limits of the Risk Estimate
The source material does not specify the year of Span’s Sept. 30 broadcast appearance, provide the research behind De Jonge’s estimate, or explain how the nearly 100% figure was calculated. It also does not identify which patients or medications the estimate covers. The statement should not be read as proof that every person taking six or seven prescriptions will experience a side effect.
The report does not assess any individual patient’s medication regimen or say which medicines should be reduced or stopped. Whether a drug remains appropriate depends on the patient’s circumstances, and that decision requires review by a qualified clinician or pharmacist.
Review the Full Medication List
The report calls on patients and caregivers to ask a doctor or pharmacist to review all current medicines, including long-standing prescriptions. Patients can ask what each drug is intended to do, whether it is still needed, and whether it could interact with another medicine. The article provides no announced follow-up study, policy change, or clinical program; the next step it describes is an individual medication review with a health professional.
Key Questions
What is the report advising patients to do?
It advises older adults and caregivers to ask a doctor or pharmacist to review the full medication list and confirm whether each medicine remains appropriate.
Should someone stop a medicine they have taken for years?
No such instruction appears in the report. Patients should speak with a qualified clinician before stopping or changing a prescribed medicine.
What did the physician say about taking six or seven prescriptions?
Geriatrics physician K. Eric De Jonge said people taking six or seven prescription medications have a “nearly 100% chance” of some side effect or intolerance. The supplied report does not give the estimate’s methods or underlying evidence, so it should remain attributed to him.
Which medicines did Span mention?
Span discussed common medications, including aspirin and benzodiazepines, that some older patients may be overusing, according to the report. It does not say that these medicines are inappropriate for every patient.
Source: rss
