Abstract
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), poses a serious risk to older adults’ health worldwide. As of April 25, 2020, there are over 2 million confirmed cases with 187,705 deaths (1). Most deaths in China, the United States, and Europe (Italy, Spain, Germany) occurred among adults aged ≥60 and older (2–4).
Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions (5), and polypharmacy, the use of five or more medications, are highly prevalent in older adults (6). Achieving optimal medication use in this population is complex and challenging under normal circumstances. Given the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on older adults, particularly those with multimorbidity, this challenge only increases. In this article, we therefore aim to highlight considerations to support safe medication use in older adults during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions (5), and polypharmacy, the use of five or more medications, are highly prevalent in older adults (6). Achieving optimal medication use in this population is complex and challenging under normal circumstances. Given the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on older adults, particularly those with multimorbidity, this challenge only increases. In this article, we therefore aim to highlight considerations to support safe medication use in older adults during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1068-1073 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences |
Volume | 76 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |