Older Australians are leading this worrying health trend

It’s the health trend Australia doesn’t want to see: older Aussies overdosing on painkillers.

However, according to research released by the Penington Institute last year that’s exactly what’s happening.

There has been a recent increase in prescription painkiller deaths and older Australians are a driving factor.

The only age group to see a decrease in opioid deaths recently is 15-24 year-olds, with 45-54 year-olds having the highest number of accidental deaths.

The increase in accidental overdoses is thought to be because of the increased access to prescription painkillers from doctors and pharmacies.

The majority of the overdoses are believed to be because patients are taking multiple medications at the same time, without realising the danger.

The problem for many though is that the older we get, the more likely we are to need a number of medications to deal with a variety of health issues.

Some medications have been proven to amplify or even block the purpose of other medications, with clashing ingredients reeking havoc on the body.

According the Arthritis Australia, if the side effects of two different medications are similar, it can intensity them even more and put the patient’s life in danger.

The most recent data on the issue from the Penington Institute was compiled using data ­prepared by the Australian ­Bureau of Statistics and found that if the current trend continues, in five years’ time the people most likely to die of an overdose will be aged 50 to 59.

At the time of the data’s publication, CEO of Penington Institute John Ryan said the statistics paint a grim picture.

“Between 2013 and 2014 overdose deaths smashed through the 1,000 deaths mark, with a rise of 14.5 per cent in one year alone, from 993 to 1,137,” he said.

“These grim figures underscore how severe the overdose crisis is in Australia,” he said. “It is now time for significant investments to be made to reduce the human toll from accidental overdose.”

“Comprehensive investments have been made to reduce the road toll. The question is therefore: why isn’t a similar level of investment being made into overdose prevention and awareness?”

One of the key reasons the problem is continuing to rise among older Australians is because of the ageing population. People are living longer and dealing with illness and chronic pain for longer at the same time.

They require prescriptions to manage these pain levels and many find themselves becoming addicted without realising.

Oxycodone has become an increasing concern, with those aged 80 and over being prescribed the drug more and more.

For doctors, the biggest issue is finding a balance between prescribing medication that allows the patient to manage their condition and making sure they’re not being placed in a vulnerable position.

For those who need medication to manage their condition, but have become addicted to their painkillers, the issue is even more complicated.

Doctors must now find a way to prescribe treatment to patients while minimising their risk of addiction at the same time.

Do you take prescription painkillers? Have you had any experience with this?