Potential for the abuse of medication for the elderly in residential and nursing homes in the UK

Abuse of the medication prescribed to the elderly living in long-stay care homes may be perpetrated by a minority of unscrupulous doctors, pharmacists , or home staff caring for the residents. Disorganised practices and homes, poor communications, and sloppy professional practices may create opportun ities for over-dosing, errors, fraud, or theft. This article describes the circumstances leading to the potential abuse of elderly residents' medicati on, and the measures that may be taken to avoid or minimise such abuse from occurring.