The World Health Organisation says around a third of people over the age of 75 years take at least six medicines a day, increasing their chances of having an adverse drug reaction.
The use of multiple medicines - also known as polypharmacy - has become an important risk factor for side effects from medication use.
People over 75 are especially vulnerable, with multiple medication use potentially leading to falls, confusion, hospitalisation and even death.
University of South Australia researcher Dr Emily Reeve is investigating how to safely reduce inappropriate medications prescribed to older Australians.
"As people age or get older they might be started on their first medication for a single medical condition and at that time that the medication is started it is appropriate and the benefits outweigh the harms. But over the next 5, 10, 20 years they will get prescribed more new medication for more new medical conditions. But when someone is 20 or 30 years older and they have new medications or new medical conditions, the benefits or harms of medications may have changed. Medications often become inappropriate over time."
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