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A KFF Health News report, discussed on WAMU’s Health Hub on Sept. 30, urges older adults and caregivers to review whether each medication is still needed and appropriate. Geriatrician K. Eric De Jonge warned that side effects and intolerance become common as prescription counts rise; patients should discuss changes with a doctor rather than stop medicines on their own.
Older adults and their caregivers should ask clinicians to review the full list of medicines they take, according to a KFF Health News report discussed by journalist Paula Span on WAMU’s Health Hub on Sept. 30. The report focuses on prescriptions that may no longer be needed, interactions among multiple drugs and the risk of side effects as medication lists grow.
Span, who writes “The New Old Age” for The New York Times and KFF Health News, discussed common medications, including aspirin and benzodiazepines, that some older patients may continue using without revisiting whether they remain appropriate. The report does not say that every patient should stop or change these medicines; it recommends checking with a doctor or pharmacist about an individual medication plan.
K. Eric De Jonge, director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said side effects or intolerance become increasingly likely as prescription counts rise. “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 provides no study details or definition of “side effect or intolerance” alongside that estimate, so it should be understood as De Jonge’s attributed statement, not a universal finding established in the report.
Span said prescriptions can remain in place after the evidence or a patient’s circumstances change. “Doctors prescribe medicine based on the evidence available at the time. But science doesn’t stop,” she said. Patients and caregivers can bring an up-to-date medication list to a review and ask what each drug is for, whether it is still needed and whether it may interact with other medicines.
Why Medication Reviews Matter
A medication review can help patients and clinicians spot overlapping effects, unwanted reactions or prescriptions that may no longer fit a person’s current needs. As people age and see multiple clinicians, their medication lists can become difficult to track; a review gives the patient, caregiver, doctor and pharmacist a chance to discuss the complete mix rather than consider each prescription in isolation.
The report’s advice is about shared decision-making, not self-directed deprescribing. Stopping or changing a prescribed drug without medical guidance can carry risks, and the source does not offer a one-size-fits-all schedule or list of medicines everyone should discontinue. The practical takeaway is to ask for an individualized review, especially when the list has grown or a medicine’s purpose is unclear.
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How Prescriptions Accumulate
The report describes a familiar pattern: medications are prescribed at different times, sometimes by different clinicians, and patients may keep taking them as part of a routine. Meanwhile, research and clinical guidance can change, and a treatment that once made sense may warrant a fresh discussion as a person’s health changes.
Span’s appearance on WAMU’s Health Hub centered on medicines that may be overused by some older patients, including aspirin and benzodiazepines. The source does not identify a specific new policy, clinical trial or formal guideline announced during the segment. Its development is a public-facing report and discussion encouraging medication checkups, with De Jonge’s comment illustrating concern about side effects among people taking several prescriptions.
““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
What the Report Does Not Specify
The source does not give the year of the Sept. 30 broadcast, identify a new clinical study behind De Jonge’s estimate, or explain how the “nearly 100%” figure was calculated. It also does not state that a particular medication is inappropriate for all older adults. Risks and benefits depend on the individual patient, and the report does not provide patient-specific recommendations.
It is also unclear from the source how many people were affected or whether any changes to clinical practice followed the broadcast. The material describes a discussion and offers general advice to review prescriptions; it does not report a new regulation or medical-care program.
Bring the Full List to a Clinician
Patients and caregivers can ask a doctor or pharmacist to review all prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs and supplements they use, along with the reason and instructions for each. They can ask whether a medicine remains appropriate, what side effects to watch for and whether any changes should be made. Bringing the containers or a current written list can help make the discussion more complete.
Any decision to reduce, replace or stop a medication should be made with a qualified health professional. The source does not announce a specific follow-up date or additional reporting milestone; the next step it recommends is an individualized conversation with the patient’s care team.
Key Questions
What is the report advising older adults to do?
It advises patients and caregivers to ask a doctor or pharmacist to review the full medication list and confirm whether each medicine is still appropriate.
Does the report say to stop aspirin or benzodiazepines?
No. It mentions these medicines as examples discussed in relation to some older patients’ use. It does not recommend that everyone stop them. Any change should be discussed with a qualified clinician.
What did the geriatrician say about taking six or seven prescriptions?
K. Eric De Jonge said that at six or seven prescription medications, there is a “nearly 100% chance” of some side effect or intolerance. The report does not provide the underlying study or calculation, so the estimate should remain attributed to him.
Can patients change their medication on their own?
The report calls for a discussion with a doctor or pharmacist, not unsupervised changes. Patients should seek professional guidance before stopping or altering a prescribed medicine.
Source: rss
