Drug Disposition in Old Age

THE appropriate and rational use of drugs by the elderly is a matter of growing medical and social concern. Life expectancy in the Western world currently stands at 69 years for men and 77 years for women and is increasing.1 , 2 In 1980 an estimated 11 per cent of the total population was over 65 years old; the proportion is expected to exceed 15 per cent by the year 2040. As compared with the young, elderly persons on the average spend more money and a greater fraction of their income on health care. Old people have more illnesses and hospitalizations than . . .