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In Reply: In response to Dr Palmer, improving the safety of medication use in elderly persons is our primary concern. This requires the identification of failures in the design of systems of care that contribute to medical errors. Our study identified many errors in prescribing, monitoring, and patient adherence that placed older patients at increased risk of drug-related injury. The ultimate purpose of our research is to inform the development and testing of interventions designed to reduce the risk of preventable adverse drug events in this particular population.

Dr Graham raises a number of important points concerning drug safety in elderly persons. We share his concerns about communication failures between the many health care professionals who provide care to elderly patients, especially when these patients receive care in multiple clinical settings. In a recent study examining preventable adverse events affecting patients after discharge from hospital to home, Forster et al¹ . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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