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Canadian Medical Association Journal logoLink to Canadian Medical Association Journal
. 1979 Oct 20;121(8):1074–1081.

Drug prescribing for the elderly in Saskatchewan during 1976.

S L Skoll, R J August, G E Johnson
PMCID: PMC1705030  PMID: 543996

Abstract

Over 11% of Saskatchewan's population is 65 years of age or older. To study patterns of prescribing for the elderly a computer file of more than 3.6 million prescriptions filled in Saskatchewan in 1976 was reviewed. The elderly population (aged 65 years or more) that year was 102 070, and 77.3% received at least one prescription drug listed in the Saskatchewan Formulary. In comparison with a "middle-aged" group (persons between the ages of 35 and 54 years) the elderly showed moderately higher average numbers of prescriptions filled and drugs used per person that year. However, the prescription of antihypertensive agents and diuretics increased dramatically with age, and barbiturates, in view of their potential toxicity, appeared to be overprescribed for the elderly.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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