Medicare DUR improvements to monitor elderly drug use will be urged by Rep. Wyden in autumn hearings.
Executive Summary
MEDICARE DUR IMPROVEMENTS FOR INAPPROPRIATE DRUG USE BY ELDERLY WILL BE URGED by Rep. Wyden in hearings this autumn on reforming the Medicare system, the Oregon Democrat said at an Aug. 8 press conference to release a General Accounting Office report on prescription drug use and the elderly. GAO found that approximately 17.5%, or about 5.3 mil., of the 30 mil. noninstitutionalized Medicare recipients age 65 or older used "at least one drug identified as generally unsuitable for elderly patients since safer alternative drugs exist."