Common pills for anxiety, pain could lead to more hospital visits

Pills that are easily available over the counter for chronic conditions such as sleep problems, depression, anxiety and pain etc could be harmful as they could lead to an increased rate of visits to hospitals.

According to a new study, a class of drugs frequently prescribed or purchased over the counter for chronic conditions including sleep problems, depression, anxiety, pain, allergy and incontinence in the elderly is linked to an increased rate of emergency department and hospital utilisation, says a study.

The findings suggest that drugs with anti-cholinergic properties could be harmful.

“Individuals taking anti-cholinergics should talk with their doctors or pharmacists about possible alternatives,” said lead researcher Noll Campbell from Indiana University Center for Aging Research in the US.

While taking a drug with mild anti-cholinergic effect daily increased the likelihood of in-patient admission by 11 percent over a year, using a drug with a strong anti-cholinergic effect daily increased the likelihood of inpatient admission by 33 percent over a year, the study said.

Sleeping pills, one of the most common medications used by elders, are in this category as are anti-histamines, which are available without prescription, according to the study of 3,344 Americans aged 65 and older.

The findings suggest that drugs with anti-cholinergic properties could be harmful.

“Anti-cholinergics, the medications that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have previously been implicated as a potential cause of cognitive impairment, by us and by other researchers,” Campbell pointed out.

The findings appeared in the journal Phamacotherapy.