 Corresponding author: Amadi ES Dermatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Rivers State, Nigeria. Copyright © 2021 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0. Adverse drug reactions amongst admitted advanced age Africans Ekechi Stella AMADI 1, * , Erinma Fortuna PEPPLE 2 , Bolaji OTIKE-ODIBI 3 and Hope Ilanye BELL-GAM 4 1 Dermatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Rivers State, Nigeria 2 Community Medicine Department, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Rivers State, Nigeria. 3 Dermatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria. 4 Geriatrics Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Rivers State, Nigeria. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2021, 12(03), 427–433 Publication history: Received on 14 November 2021; revised on 23 December 2021; accepted on 25 December 2021 Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2021.12.3.0712 Abstract Background: Medical therapy amongst advanced age adults sometimes have its inherent significant risks such as adverse drug reactions (ADRs) resulting from the drug itself or drug-drug interactions or interactions from other substances such as alcohol. Aim: The main aim of this study is to highlight ADRs noticed by the older adult while on admission either in the past or present with the goal of preventing them and improving treatment outcomes. Methods: A purposive cross-sectional sampling of 126 elderly patients that were admitted to the different wards of the hospital within a 3-month period was carried out of which 25 older adults who met the criteria of being able to recall ADRs in the past or during current admission were included in the study. Results: ADR was reported in a ratio of M: F ratio of 1:1.08 with a prevalence of 19.8% of the total older patients evaluated. Conclusion: Self-reported ADRs amongst these advanced age in-patients were high. The actual number of adverse drug events may be higher if they actually looked out for by the physicians or other health care workers. The use of screening tools by physicians and other prescribing health workers can help in curbing adverse drug events in older adults. Keywords: Adverse; African; Drug; Elderly; Reaction 1. Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adverse drug reaction (ADR) as noxious and unintended response to a drug, which occurs at normal doses used in human beings for the prophylaxis, diagnosis, or therapy of disease, or for the modifications of physiological function [1]. The older age group have been observed to be more susceptible to adverse drug reactions.[2, 3] The risk factors include frailty resulting from the aging process that affects the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the advanced age adult leading to low physiological reserves, this predisposes to multi-morbidity and in turn predisposes to poly-pharmacy [3].The older age group are also disadvantaged from lack of participating in clinical trials and post marketing surveillance carried out because of several contraindications and age restricted limitations such as impaired memory in recalling side effects of drugs. The predisposition to s several co-morbidities may also impair caregivers and healthcare workers from easily identifying