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Jun 2025
How Physicians Can Help Prevent Opioid Misuse in Older Adults
The opioid crisis affects older adults more than physicians, families, caregivers and patients themselves may realize. Because of the physical, mental and social changes that come with aging, this population is particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of opioids — including prescription opioid misuse.
Texas physicians who care for older adults have a critical role in preventing misuse, addiction and overdose. Even if you don’t often prescribe opioids, it’s important to talk with older patients and their families or caregivers about the dangers of prescription opioid misuse.
Texas Older Adults Are at Risk
There are numerous reasons why older adults are at a heightened risk of prescription opioid misuse, including:
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Changes in cognition: Age-related memory issues are normal in older adults and can increase the chance of unintentional misuse, whether by forgetting to take a medication, taking it too often or taking the wrong amount.
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Physical susceptibility: As the body ages, it often can’t absorb and break down medications as easily as it once did.
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Increased amount of prescription medications: Chronic health conditions tend to develop as part of aging, and older adults are often prescribed more medicines than other age groups, leading to a higher rate of exposure to potentially addictive medications. Because they often take an increased amount of prescription meds, older adults may also be at a higher risk for drug interactions.
Coping with big life changes: Stressful events such as retirement, grief and loss, declining health or a change in living situation may lead to an increased vulnerability to prescription opioid misuse.
It’s critical to ensure older patients and their families or caregivers are fully aware of the risks of prescription opioid misuse.
Talking About Prescription Opioid Misuse With Older Adults
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Be aware of medication interactions: Explain that a reaction between two or more medications can affect how a drug works or cause unwanted side effects. Encourage patients to read the label when taking a new drug and keep a detailed list of medications and doses to share with other providers.
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Take medications exactly as prescribed: Never increase, cut back or stop taking prescription medication before talking to a doctor — and avoid mixing them with alcohol and other drugs.
Never share prescriptions: From different dosage needs to potential side effects, sharing a prescription may cause serious harm.
All the points listed above should be communicated to family or caregivers as well so they understand the risk factors.
The Texas PMP: Keeping Older Adults Safe From Prescription Opioid Misuse
The Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is a valuable tool in protecting your patients, regardless of age. By providing controlled substance prescription histories for your patients, it informs prescribing practices to prevent prescription drug misuse and overdose.
Take a moment to learn how you can use the Texas PMP to protect your patients at txpmp.org.
This article was originally published in Texas Medicine in December 2023.