Primary Care Providers' Perspectives on Psychoactive Medication Disorders in Older Adults

The lack of a clear definition, absence of well-defined risk factors, and ambiguous clinical manifestations of psychoactive medication misuse and abuse present substantial barriers to diagnosis. A standard, age-appropriate definition could help PCPs establish a diagnosis, clarify what constitutes appropriate psychoactive medication use, define the extent of the problem, and pave the way for the development of effective screening and diagnostic tools.