Book excerpt: During the 1970s and 1980s prescription and over-the-counter drugs had come to play a major role in the health care of older people. Originally published in 1986, this book reviews the historical background to this development and explores its social and pharmacological implications. The main aim of the study was to provide a critical perspective on drug use together with a framework for developing effective prescribing policies. The authors do not, in developing their arguments, reject the enormous value of drugs in the treatment of many illnesses affecting older people; they do, however, criticise excessive as well as inappropriate prescribing. The intention was to provide some practical illustrations of how the harmful effects of drug use can be curtailed. This book was aimed, in particular, at workers in the health services, for example: doctors, health visitors, district nurses, pharmacists, the professions allied to medicine. However, it should also be of interest to other groups such as social workers, carers, support groups and older people themselves.