An estimated 2.3 million older Australians are being dispensed multiple medicines associated with falls and fractures, while more than 1.2 million are receiving combinations linked to kidney-related side effects, according to new research from Adelaide University.

Published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, researchers found that older Australians are commonly taking multiple medicines that are linked to the same adverse effects, highlighting a potentially overlooked risk to medication safety.

Using a 10% random sample of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme dispensing records, researchers examined medicine use among more than 323,500 older people.

Extrapolating the findings to the national population, researchers estimated that around 2.4 million older Australians were dispensed multiple medicines with overlapping adverse-effect risks.

The most common overlapping risks were falls and fractures, affecting an estimated 2.3 million older Australians, followed by constipation (1.7 million) and kidney-related injury (more than 1.2 million).

The findings show that taking multiple medicines with overlapping side effects may increase the risk of serious health problems commonly experienced by older Australians, highlighting the importance of identifying potentially harmful medication combinations.

Lead researcher Dr. Imaina Widagdo said while medicines play a vital role in managing chronic health conditions, taking several medications with similar side effects can increase the potential for harm.

“Older Australians often need multiple medicines to manage different health conditions, but what people may not realise is that these medicines can have overlapping side effects,” Dr. Widagdo said.

“For example, someone might be taking several medicines for different conditions, each of which could also cause dizziness or affect balance. Together, these may increase that person’s risk of falls and fractures.

“These combined risks are not always obvious during routine care, particularly when medicines are prescribed by different healthcare professionals, but you can see how they may contribute to preventable harm.”

Globally, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, with fatal falls among adults aged 60 years and older.

In Australia, about 250,000 hospital admissions are medication related, costing the healthcare system AUD$1.4 billion each year. Two-thirds of medication-related hospital admissions are potentially preventable.

Researchers say the findings highlight opportunities for pharmacists and GPs to identify potentially harmful medicine combinations through regular medication reviews.

“Medication reviews are an important opportunity to look at all the medicines a person is taking, identify overlapping risks and consider whether some medicines could be safely reduced or stopped,” Dr Widagdo said.

“This doesn’t mean people should stop taking prescribed medicines. Rather, it highlights the importance of regularly reviewing medications with a healthcare professional to ensure the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.”

Researchers hope the findings will support greater use of medication reviews, particularly those led by pharmacists, to identify patients at higher risk and improve medication safety.

References:

1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-026-02148-6

(Newswise/MSM)