Baby boomer blowout
November 5, 2015
Over 65’s account for a 27%
relative increase, from 28.2% to
35.8%, in use of medications,
according to the latest Bettering
the Evaluation and Care of Health
(BEACH) report on General Practice
activity 2014-15 from the University
of Sydney’s Family Medicine
Research Centre.
Similarly, this group predictably
dominated chronic pain
management and adverse drug
reactions due to polypharmacy,
as well as having relatively high
smoking, alcohol and overweight
issues, the report said.
There was a 24% relative increase
in pathology and imaging tests
ordered for patients aged 65+, while
referrals for further investigation or
treatment were up 33%.
All the relative increases were
far larger than the 18% relative
increase in the proportion of the
population aged 65+ because these
patients attended more often than
average, with more problems being
managed as a result, the report said.
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