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An estimated 2.3 million older Australians are being dispensed multiple medicines associated with falls and fractures, while more than 1.2 million are receiving combinations linked to kidney-related side effects, according to new research from Adelaide University.

In research published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, researchers found that older Australians are commonly taking multiple medicines that are linked to the same adverse effects, highlighting a potentially overlooked risk to medication safety.

Using a 10% random sample of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme dispensing records, researchers examined medicine use among more than 323,500 older people.

Extrapolating the findings to the national population, researchers estimated that about 2.4 million older Australians were dispensed multiple medicines with overlapping adverse-effect risks.

The most common overlapping risks were falls and fractures, affecting an estimated 2.3 million older Australians, followed by constipation (1.7 million) and kidney-related injury (more than 1.2 million).

The findings show that taking multiple medicines with overlapping side effects may increase the risk of serious health problems commonly experienced by older Australians, highlighting the importance of identifying potentially harmful medication combinations.

Lead researcher Dr. Imaina Widagdo said that while medicines play a vital role in managing chronic health conditions, taking several medications with similar side effects can increase the potential for harm.

"Older Australians often need multiple medicines to manage different health conditions, but what people may not realize is that these medicines can have overlapping side effects," Widagdo said.

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