Healthy Living

Medication Puts Elderly Lymphoma Patients at Risk for Shortened Survival

How to avoid PIMs

There are steps you can take to protect yourself from PIMs. Dr. Diefenbach gave a recommendation, “before initiating intensive chemotherapy for an elderly frail NHL patient, the oncologist should review the medication list carefully, identify the potential PIMs, and either consider stopping them for the duration of therapy, or, if that is not feasible, consult with a pharmacist or geriatrician.”

Basically, get your specialist to talk with other specialists to look over the treatment to keep an eye out for any medications which may be potentially inappropriate. Sharing the 2015 Beers Criteria with your lymphoma specialist is a good starting point for figuring out which medications to avoid if you cannot consult with a geriatrician.