Higher than expected numbers of medicines are being prescribed to elderly patients in two units at James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin.
That's according to doctors who have studied prescribing patterns at the units.
Dr Patricia McCormack and Dr Brian Clarke have, following their research, recommended that standards be drawn up for the prescribing of drugs to elderly persons in long-term care units.
They looked at the number of different medicines given to 76 patients whose average age was 80 years, and found an average of 9.2 medicines were prescribed per patient.
Dr Clarke said it was generally accepted that a lot of the prescribing in long-term care units was inappropriate, and the study in Blanchardstown bore this out. For example, 75 per cent of the patients studied had a diagnosis of stroke, but only 39 per cent were prescribed either an anti-platelet or anti-coagulant.
All patients clearly needed drugs, however, with each having an average of 8.8 diagnoses.
The study, which has been published in the latest edition of the Irish Medical Journal, found hypnotics and laxatives were heavily prescribed.
Some 67 per cent were prescribed hypnotics, and 66 per cent were prescribed laxatives.
"Factors relating specifically to long-term care patients and such inappropriate and high levels of prescribing have been identified. They include the fact that established practices in long-term care units often lead to an effort to solve healthcare problems with drug treatment.
"There is often a lack of trained staff, leading to inappropriate indication and follow-up of drug treatment. Reduced staffing levels at night can also lead to inappropriate prescribing times; for example, residents suffering from dementia may be given hypnotics earlier in the evening, leading to early morning wakening and further sedatives at that time," the study said.
Elderly people account for 11.4 per cent of the Irish population. Yet 47 per cent of medication prescribed on the GMS is for people aged over 65.