More than half of older people in Ireland who are on prescription medication will regularly consume alcohol, a new study has found.
Researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland found that one in five people taking anti depressants reported drinking heavily.
The figures were also high for people taking anti-epileptics or antipsychotic drugs, which more than one in ten people drinking large amounts of alcohol.
The study found that 60% of people over 60 drank during the course of their prescription.
Alcohol can interact harmfully with some prescription medications and cause negative side-effects.
Older people are even more susceptible to adverse effects because of their metabolism and changes in how their bodies deal with alcohol and medication, said Dr Gráinne Cousins, an RCSI researcher.
Source: Christine Bohan, thejournal.ie, 03/07/14
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