The overall consensus is that elderly psychiatric patients are more prone to
develop adverse drug reactions than younger patients as a consequence of
psychopharmacological medication. Elderly persons with psychiatric disorders
frequently suffer from somatic diseases and may receive polypharmacy more than
younger patients. Thus, they may tend to develop adverse drug reactions more
frequently. In addition, medications are brought to market with limited experience
regarding their adverse effects, given the small number of people who have taken them
during pre-marketing clinical tests. This is particularly true with elderly patients. As a
result of this conditioning factor, in particular during the years leading up to the
appearance of a new medication, health professionals (basically the physician) should
pay special attention to: both a) Identifying the adverse effects of medications.and b)
Reporting them in order to always maintain a favourable risk-benefit balance.
Keywords: Adverse drug reactions, Antipsychotics, Case reports, Case-control
study, Clinical Trial, Cohort Study, Drug authorization, Elderly, Geropsychiatry,
Health Databases, Intensive monitoring studies, Metaanalysis, Pharmacogenetics,
Pharmacovigilance, Post marketing studies, Prescription event-monitoring,
Psychopharmacology, Risk management, Spontaneous, Yellow card.
