That's incorrect Celia inasmuch as it is based on a report saying that 20% of the elderly were on drugs they either did not need, or reacted adversely with other medication they were on.
"A third of elderly patients may be being prescribed unnecessary medication, putting them at needless risk of side-effects and costing the NHS millions, a study has shown.
A review of 1,800 over 75s at NHS Croydon found that the average patient had been prescribed six different drugs.
But after a reassessment hundreds of prescriptions were cancelled, with up to one third of patients taken off at least one drug.
Hundreds of prescriptions were stopped because they were no longer effective and dozens because the patients were experiencing side effects or drug reactions.
A further 121 patients were sent to their GP for further review, and 89 patients had their dose reduced."
For once this makes sense BUT perhaps not good to offer GPs a £1 financial incentive to review their prescriptions....or perhaps it might stir them to think?