Over-the-counter medications containing diphenhydramine and doxylamine used by older adults to improve sleep.

ABSTRACT: Background The unintentional misuse of over-the-counter sleep aids among older adults is an important public health problem and a focus of Healthy People 2020. Accordingly, the 2015 Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults recommends that individuals 65 years or older avoid use of diphenhydramine and doxylamine; however, many over-the-counter sleep products contain these active ingredients. Objective To identify the proportion of older adults using an over-the-counter medication containing diphenhydramine or doxylamine, and compare their characteristics with older adults using an over-the-counter medication that does not contain these ingredients. Setting Study participants were recruited from the Community Registry of the Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Olde

SUBMITTER: Abraham O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5541127 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature