Mixing pills sends 1,000 elderly people a day to A&E

An over-prescribing epidemic is leading to thousands of elderly people being admitted to hospital suffering reactions to cocktails of medicines.

A Sunday Times investigation has found doctors are routinely giving out potentially harmful levels of medication to elderly patients, leading to falls, low blood pressure, dizziness and irregular heartbeats.

Almost eight million people in the UK are at risk of medical side-effects because they are being prescribed five or more drugs to take daily. About 2.2 million take ten drugs a day, a study published earlier this year reveals. 

Taking more than five medicines is defined as “polypharmacy”, as this is the point at which the risk of side-effects increases. It is particularly dangerous in patients considered to be frail and often living with mobility issues.

The Sunday Times is launching a campaign calling on the NHS and government to stop the prescription trap that is harming elderly patients. The three calls for action are:

• All medical students must learn the risks of mixing medicines and receive training for how and when to de-prescribe.

• The NHS should ensure that anyone over 65 who is considered frail and is taking 10 or more medications is invited for an annual review of their drug regimen.

• 1,850 more geriatricians must be trained by 2030 to ensure there is one doctor for every 500 patients aged 85 and over.

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Source: The Times, 5 September 2026