South Dakota medicine : the journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association
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Pain is frequently reported and often undertreated in the elderly population. In light of these concerns, it is important to examine potentially ineffective or problematic pain medications. Propoxyphene is one such agent whose efficacy and safety have been questioned by researchers, clinicians and the U. ⋯ The relevance of propoxyphene use is seen by the 7.1 percent prevalence of propoxyphene prescriptions among the South Dakota Medicare beneficiaries, which is comparable to the 6.8 percent reported in the U. S. community-based Medicare population. Therefore, it is very important to consider alternatives to propoxyphene such as APAP, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (rare use due to adverse effects) and other opioids, when managing elderly patients with pain.