EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CONSTIPATION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS - DRUG UTILIZATION AND COST-CONTAINMENT STRATEGIES

Constipation is a common complaint among elderly people, resulting in large amounts of money being spent on laxatives. Strategies for improv ing patient care while reducing this expenditure include: (a) counsell ing patients that daily bowel movements and purging are not essential to good health, (b) greater use of nonpharmacological measures such as hydration, exercise and dietary fibre, and (c) considering safety, ef fectiveness and cost in the selection of a laxative, Generic preparati ons of psyllium and sorbitol can be recommended in this regard, The wi despread use of stool softeners, magnesium hydroxide ('milk of magnesi a') and stimulant laxatives is difficult to justify from the available data.