Medication management.

The elderly receive more drugs than any other patient group, and those in nursing homes receive the most. However, little is known about drug action, particularly in the very old. A host of factors can alter drug action. Particular attention needs to be paid to the influence of intercurrent disease, other drugs in a particular regimen, the patient's weight and nutritional status, as well as altered pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of any drug. Liver and kidney status, and changes therein, are most important.