When you’re over 65, your body handles medicine differently. What was safe at 40 might be dangerous at 70. That’s where the Beers Criteria, a widely used list of potentially inappropriate medications for older adults, updated regularly by the American Geriatrics Society. Also known as the AGS Beers Criteria, it helps doctors and patients avoid drugs that raise the risk of falls, confusion, kidney damage, and even death. This isn’t just a checklist—it’s a lifeline for people managing multiple conditions and taking five or more pills a day.
The Beers Criteria, a widely used list of potentially inappropriate medications for older adults, updated regularly by the American Geriatrics Society. Also known as the AGS Beers Criteria, it helps doctors and patients avoid drugs that raise the risk of falls, confusion, kidney damage, and even death. isn’t about banning drugs. It’s about matching the right treatment to the right person. For example, benzodiazepines like diazepam might calm anxiety in a young adult but can cause dangerous drowsiness and falls in someone over 65. Anticholinergics—found in some sleep aids, bladder meds, and even allergy pills—can blur vision, confuse memory, and mimic dementia. And nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen? They’re fine for occasional use, but long-term use in older adults can wreck kidneys or trigger internal bleeding. These aren’t hypothetical risks. Studies show nearly one in three older adults in the U.S. is prescribed at least one Beers Criteria drug, and many don’t even know it.
What makes the Beers Criteria powerful is how it connects to real-world problems you see every day. It’s why we wrote about methadone QT prolongation and the need for ECG monitoring—because heart rhythm drugs can turn deadly in older patients. It’s why sedative interactions with scopolamine matter so much—mixing them with sleep aids or alcohol can land someone in the ER. And it’s why generic drugs aren’t always the answer: sometimes the cheaper version has the same dangerous profile. The Beers Criteria doesn’t just list bad drugs—it shows you which ones to replace, and with what. For instance, replacing an anticholinergic bladder med with mirabegron, or swapping a long-acting benzo for non-drug sleep strategies. It’s not about taking everything away. It’s about making smarter choices.
What you’ll find below isn’t just a list of articles. It’s a practical toolkit. You’ll see how polypharmacy leads to dangerous interactions, how geriatric pharmacology changes with age, and how even common OTC meds can become risks. From opioid-induced adrenal insufficiency to medication-induced agranulocytosis, each post ties back to the same truth: older bodies don’t process drugs the same way. And ignoring that can cost lives. These aren’t theoretical concerns—they’re daily realities for millions. The Beers Criteria isn’t a footnote in a medical textbook. It’s the first thing your doctor should check before writing a prescription. And now, you know why.
Older adults need different medication doses because aging changes how the body absorbs, processes, and eliminates drugs. Learn why start-low-go-slow dosing matters, which drugs are risky, and how to prevent dangerous side effects.
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