Guidance for appropriate use of psychotropic drugs in older people

Abstract

Psychotropic drugs are widely prescribed in older people although their use is associated with important risks. In this position paper, we discuss the appropriateness of using these medications in older people in terms of different aspects such as indications, contraindications, dosing, adverse drug reactions, interactions and duration of therapy. Consequently, we discuss different strategies to increase the appropriateness of therapy while formulating some practical recommendations to keep in mind when (de)prescribing psychotropic drugs in older people.