[Sacajaweau]

The same "evaluation" techniques as kids on Ritalin.

Follow the money.

[Iron Munro]

Sounds like a problem with doctors more than with the patients.

Are they just trying to get older people out of their hair?

[tet68]

The number of retirement-age Americans taking at least three psychiatric drugs...

Oh, psychiatric drugs!
I thought I was going to have to add another Psychedelic
drug.

[KC_Lion]

My Great Grandmother always said "Stay. Away. From. Pills"

She lived to be 92 in good health.

[Tax-chick]

The headline and opening paragraph say "psychiatric" medications, but further down, it says they include sleep aids and painkillers.

Nearly 46 percent of people with at least three prescriptions had no diagnosis of a mood, chronic pain or sleep problem, the study found.

Weird. Perhaps the patients are watching medicine ads on television. Then they request the drug from their doctor, and he writes a prescription, without bothering to make a diagnosis.

[oh8eleven]

... inappropriate prescribing to older people is more common than previously thought.
My late MIL took 7 prescriptions each day and she was miserable, almost suicidal.
  Finally one day she decided to stop taking the drugs and within a week she was like a new person.
  Went to her doctor and he suggested she only restart 2 of the 7.
She saved a ton of money ... which is why so many drugs are prescribed ... boo-koo bucks. Big pharma sux.

[JimRed]

How many are taking them as recreation?

[polymuser]

He’s 55, married for 30 years in a children-centered marriage, empty nest now, nothing in common, she walked out, he’s emotionally and socially upside down. Doc softens him up, gives him Rx for anxiety/depression.

Now, he’ll have big trouble with gun buy/carry permits. Part of a PC proggie program, this.

[trebb]

Renegade doctors trying to disqualify folks from owning firearms by prescribing drugs that cause more problems than they solve - in folks with some really serious problems??

[loveliberty2]

A Obama/Democrat goal through the “unaffordable care act,” with all its computerized requirements and revised paperwork questions for seniors, made it clear that the prescription by doctors of such medications would then be used to regulate ownership of guns to those populations. Such a goal was evident in the questions required to be answered.

[TheStickman]

I recall a few years ago when the pharma meds weren’t really helping & talking with my physician about how bad I was feeling. She spent the rest of our time together asking me if I had taken X, Y & Z, etc. She was so convinced there was a medicine on her list that must surely treat my depression.

So thankful I stopped taking that pharma crap & replaced it with cannabis in Feb 2015. I pray when I get into my 6th decade & beyond I won’t come down with a malady related to all those year of anti-depressants & Ativan.

[zerosix]

I thought all of this information was secret under the infamous HIPA rules.

Am I misinformed?

[Stentor]

I have an exotic cocktail of moonshine, red wine, and Stella Artois but not at the same time. Feel quite happy.

[BenLurkin]

It almost seems that medical marijuana would be a healthier alternative.

[pluvmantelo]

Well we all know it’s better to walk around in blinding pain on 2 hours sleep than to suffer dizziness. As far as ‘confusion’ I know from my own experience that chronic insomnia leaves one sharp as a tack.

[VR-21]

I’ll stick with Chivas Regal.

[sanjuanbob]

Because we’re all Looney Tunes.

[AFreeBird]

Hey, if you’re prescribed those drugs, your second amendment is Null and Void.

Just say’.