Prescriber compliance with black box warnings in older adult patients.

Background: Patients prescribed medications with US Food and Drug Administration-issued black box warnings (BBWs) warrant additional vigilance by prescribers because these drugs can cause serious adverse drug events. Seniors are at greater risk for adverse drug events due to increased medication burden and greater health vulnerability.

Objective: To improve our understanding of the prescribing and patient-monitoring practices of physicians prescribing medications with a BBW to patients age >or=65 years in an ambulatory care setting.