Older adults over-prescribed dementia medication at high cost: Study

The majority of older adults diagnosed with dementia are prescribed costly medications for up to a decade despite little evidence that drugs used to treat symptoms are effective beyond a year.

Long-term use can cost patients and their insurers up to $20,000 over the course of treatment, according to a study published Tuesday by the AARP Public Policy Institute.

“Our research shows some health care providers continue prescribing dementia drugs to patients for much longer than is supported by the clinical evidence,” Elizabeth A. Carter, co-author of the study and senior health services research adviser for the AARP Public Policy Institute, said in a statement. “Not only do these drugs carry potential side effects, they are costing both patients and the health care system a lot of money.”

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