Summary: ​​A study of over 500,000 older adults in Ireland identified five prevalent prescribing cascades, where side effects of one drug led to prescriptions for additional medications—some potentially avoidable. New research published in Annals of Family Medicine identifies five clinically relevant prescribing cascades in a national sample of more than half a million older adults in Ireland. Approximately 2.5% of those on an SSRI or SNRI went on to receive a sleep agent prescription within one year. The authors estimated one additional sleep agent prescription for every 115 patients who start a SSRI or SNRI. About 0.4% of antipsychotic users went on to receive an antiparkinsonian agent prescription within one year.