Drug Topics (11/18, Nowosielski) reports a study found that “despite frequent use of OTC medications, older adults over 65 exhibited a significant lack of knowledge regarding these drugs.” The researchers “explored studies on OTC use and misuse in older adults to curate their survey questionnaire.” Although overall OTC medication “use was so common among older adults, so too were misuse behaviors and gaps in understanding the medications they are typically using.” Results indicated that “14.2% of patients said they’ve experienced an OTC overdose. Another 33.2% reported that they use OTC medications for purposes other than recommended.” Furthermore, “across the study population, 39.4% were unaware of the dangers of misuse, 38.3% did not know potential side effects, 43.5% were unaware of interactions with prescribed medications, and 56.2% did not know about contraindications.” The study was published in Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy. )SOURCE: APA Headlines)