Inappropriate use of medications in the veteran community: how much do doctors and pharmacists contribute?

There is widespread inappropriate use of pharmaceuticals. Problems are with the prescribing and dispensing as well as with the taking of medicines. Levels of potentially inappropriate prescribing were estimated in the population of Australian veterans and war widows. This group tends to have multiple medical conditions and therefore to rely on medication therapy. These factors, and the average age of the population (72 years), increase the possibility of drug misadventures in this group. Despite the obvious hazards, a large number of high-risk prescribing situations were detected. Although some of the problems can be reduced through changes in prescribing behaviour, the solution does not lie in the hands of doctors alone.