Basic principles of prescribing for geriatric outpatients.

Use of drugs in the elderly is associated wih increased risk of adverse side effects and morbidity. This is partly because the elderly have more chronic medical conditions and decreased homeostatic reserve. Pharmacotherapy must be individualized, since the elderly are widely variable, and drugs must be carefully monitored to minimize risk of poor outcomes. The clinician must remember that drugs are only one of the available interventions in geriatric care and that their use entails not only potential for benefit but also considerable risk. It is the clinician's responsibility to practice in such a way that this risk is minimized.