Medications and Older Adults course for Nurses

This session describes the physiological changes that occur with ageing and the effects these changes have on the handling of analgesic medicines.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the physiological changes of ageing that alter drug handling
• Outline the effect of physiological changes on the handling of paracetamol and NSAIDs in older people
• Explain the clinical relevance of pharmacological differences between different opioids in older people
• Describe the considerations when choosing pharmacological treatments for neuropathic pain in older people
• Identify topical treatments for pain that may be effective for older people

Pain is a common symptom for many older people, who often have other conditions or illnesses and take multiple medicines. Safe prescribing of analgesics in older people is complex due to changes in how the body handles medicines, other medical conditions, polypharmacy and variability in response.