WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A review of data linked to more than 175,000 older adults enrolled in HMOs indicates that potentially inappropriate medications are being prescribed in substantial numbers. The findings are published in the February Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

In 2000-2001, according to researchers, more than 28 percent of elderly individuals received at least one of 33 medications deemed potentially inappropriate by medical experts, while 5 percent received one of 11 drugs that had been classified as inappropriate in all older patients.

Data showed that overall rates of use of any of the 33 potentially inappropriate medications were greater in women than in men.

However, recently reported information from medical offices shows that prescriptions of these meds for elderly people has not decreased.

The medications cited as "Always avoid" are: barbiturates, belladonna alkaloids, chlorpropamide, dicyclomine, flurazepam, hyoscyamine, meperidine, meprobamate, pentazocine, propantheline and trimethobenzamide.