Alcohol and drug use in the elderly visited at home.

During a 3 year prospective study, 223 new patients aged 65 and over were seen at their own residences. This setting enabled a detailed record to be made of current medication and alcohol use. The average consumption was 2.9 different drugs daily per patient, but one-third of the patients took 4 or more different preparations. One patient in 10 showed a severe alcohol-related problem. These findings were in a group with an average age of 77, not overtly physically ill, referred for a psychiatric opinion.