Aging & Social Change: Tenth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Polypharmacy, which is most commonly defined as the concurrent use of five or more drugs, is a serious issue that detrimentally affects the health of their consumers. Polypharmacy can lead to adverse drug reactions that compromise an individual’s quality of life. As a result of frailty and biological changes, aging usually places older adults (65 years and older) at a higher risk of having polypharmacy-related problems. Cancer further aggravates these challenges, as more medications are added to the existing regime (i.e., treatment for pre-existing conditions) to address the side-effects of cancer treatment, which contributes to increased patients’ physical, psychological, and financial strains. Unfortunately, very limited studies have been conducted thus far to address polypharmacy in older adults with cancer. The purpose of this interpretive description study, therefore, is to explore the experiences of community-dwelling older adults who have cancer and with polypharmacy, as well as the experiences of healthcare providers and family members involved in their care. Issues of power and inequities concerning older adults and how these power issues contribute to polypharmacy will also be investigated by drawing on Habermas’ theory of communicative action. The results of this proposed study may better inform practice, policies and regulations, and educational guidelines and contribute to providing better pharmacological care to older adults who have cancer.