PREFACE<br > Statistics show that the population of the United States is becoming<br > older. Census bureau estimates project that in tile year 1990 there will<br > be 29 million elderly Americans， who will constitute 11% of the total<br > population.<br > The elderly as a group have more illnesses and take more medications<br >than any other segment of the population. Drugs pose particular haz-<br >ards for elderly people because of the infirmities associated with old age<br >as well as their greater vulnerability to adverse drug reactions. The<br >elderly are more sensitive than are younger people to drug effects and<br >often experience altered and unusual responses when taking multiple<br >medications. Because economic， physiologic， psychologic， and social<br >changes are significant in the aging process， drug therapy must be<br >prescribed and monitored more closely in the older population.<br > Although dosages of many drugs are similar in the elderly and youn-<br >ger adults， some need to be drastically reduced in the amount adminis-<br >tered over a period of time. It is important to be aware of pharmacokine-<br >tic parameters and the elderly patient s sensitivity to specific drug<br >effects. More of the current medical references include geriatric drug<br >dosing information than ever before.<br > The Handbook of Geriatric Drug Therapy is intended to present<br >concise and pertinent information as it relates to specific dosing. Intro-<br >ductory material includes the following subjects: Morbidity and Mortal-<br >ity， Psychosocial Aspects， Physiologic Aspects， Pharmacokinetics，<br >Guidelines and Principles for Prescribing， Drug Hazards， and Compli-<br >ance. An understanding of these subjects should enhance the health<br >professional s ability to improve the quality of care for the elderly.<br > The second part of the book contains information on drug dosage for<br >the elderly and is organized in a standardized format. Basic information<br >on dosages was obtained from the United States Pharmacopoeia Dis-<br > vii<br >