In the elderly population, psychoactive agents should be prescribed at significantly lower dosages than in younger populations. Which of the following best describes the rationale for this?
A) Lower dosages should be prescribed because the elderly clients are less able to afford appropriate amounts of these expensive drugs.
B) Because in the case of confusion, it is best to decrease the likelihood of overdose by prescribing lowered dosages to elderly clients.
C) The elderly clients are less able to understand what daily amounts of drugs they need.
D) The physiology of elderly persons renders them less able to metabolize and eliminate psychoactive drugs through the liver and kidney, so they need fewer drugs.
Ans: D
As the body ages, the ability of the liver and kidney to metabolize chemicals decreases. Therefore, it is important to give lower dosages as the individual ages in order to prevent toxicity.
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