More than one in five older Americans were taking medicine combinations that carry the risk of a potentially major drug interaction, according to a study published Sept. 24, 2026, in JAMA. Antidepressants, statins, and antiplatelet drugs were the classes most often involved.
The share at risk actually dipped, from 25.7% in 2015 to 2016 to 22.3% in 2021 to 2023. At the same time, older adults were taking more medicines overall. The study counted potential interactions based on what people were taking; it did not measure whether anyone was harmed.
