Aging changes how your body absorbs, processes, and gets rid of medications. These changes can often make older adults more sensitive to medication side effects or cause toxic effects. Some medicines that are considered safe for younger people may be risky for older adults. Healthcare providers use tools like the Beers Criteria to identify medications that are not a good fit or unsafe for older adults1. These special age-related recommendations support safer prescribing and reduce the chance of side effects like dizziness, confusion, sedation, or reduce risk of complication such as fractures or falls.
Resources
- By the 2023 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria® Update Expert Panel. American Geriatrics Society 2023 updated AGS Beers Criteria® for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023;71(7):2052-2081. doi:10.1111/jgs.18372
- Mangoni AA, Jackson SHD. Age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics: basic principles and practical applications. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2004;57(1):6-14. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2125.2003.02007.x
- Keepers GA, Fochtmann LJ, Anzia JM, et al. The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2020;177(9):868-872. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.177901
- Fotso Soh J, Klil-Drori S, Rej S. Using Lithium in Older Age Bipolar Disorder: Special Considerations. Drugs Aging. 2019;36(2):147-154. doi:10.1007/s40266-018-0628-1
- Aging and Medications - Older People’s Health Issues - Merck Manual Consumer Version. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/older-people-s-health-issues/aging-and-medications/aging-and-medications
- Taking Medicines Safely as You Age. National Institute on Aging. September 22, 2022. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/medicines-and-medication-management/taking-medicines-safely-you-age