Quality use of medicines: The elderly patients with Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an exceedingly common diagnosis in family practice, particularly in the elderly population. It is certainly the most common of the artritides, but differs substantially in that inflammations, if present, is usually mild and restricted to the affected joint(s). The causes are not as yet completely understood and there is no known cure. Taken together, this means that a large proportion of elderly patients, in whom concurrent morbidities are common and who are at increased risk of receiving multiple, potentially inappropriate medicines, will most probable require pain relief of some sort.