Need to knowA GP has outlined the hidden risk of staying on the same medication for decades
Dr Amir Khan(Image: No Appointment Necessary)
Doctor warns long-term medication users to review prescriptionsPeople taking medicines such as statins, ramipril and metformin should have their prescriptions reviewed regularly, TV doctor Dr Amir Khan has warned.More than eight million people are said to take five or more medicines. In Ireland, six in 10 people aged 65 and over are prescribed at least five, while two in 10 take 10 or more.The Irish Health Review Board has said: “While the purpose of these medications is to improve symptoms and the underlying condition, sometimes these medications can have side-effects that can lead to medication-related injury, for example stomach bleeds, problems with the kidneys and falls.”Dr Khan said people’s health, weight and kidney and liver function can change over time, potentially increasing the risk of side-effects. He also cautioned that symptoms caused by a medicine may be mistaken for a new illness, leading to further prescriptions.He stressed that patients must not simply stop taking their medicines, saying: “The prescription stays the same, but the person has changed over that time — their kidney function may have changed, their weight may have changed, their liver function.”He said pharmacists in GP surgeries are best placed to review which medicines should stay and which can be safely stopped.
READ THE FULL STORY: Doctor issues warning to millions taking statins, ramipril and metformin over ‘hospital admissions’