Prescribing in Care Homes: the Role of the Geriatrician

Overview

Journal Ther Adv Chronic Dis

Publisher Sage Publications

Date 2012 Dec 20

PMID 23251760

Citations 4

Authors

Eileen Burns

Nuala McQuillan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Large numbers of frail elderly people spend some time of their lives in care homes. Increasing age is associated with altered physiology, multiple diagnoses and complex comorbidity, and polypharmacy. Those living in care homes often take larger numbers of medications than those who live in the community and the risk of morbidity as a direct or indirect result of medications is high. Many methods have been suggested to revise the number and type of medications prescribed for individuals at risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), both in the community and in hospital with variable success and implementation. Assessment of prescribed and nonprescribed medications by pharmacists, nurses and general practitioners all have a role in optimizing therapeutics with evidence that improved prescribing can reduce the risk of ADRs. In conjunction with these professionals, community geriatricians undertaking a comprehensive geriatric assessment can reduce the number of medications prescribed or optimize therapy where there may be underprescribing (e.g. in depression), thereby reducing the overall risk of hospital admission ADRs.

Citing Articles

Optimisation of medications used in residential aged care facilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Almutairi H, Stafford A, Etherton-Beer C, Flicker L BMC Geriatr. 2020; 20(1):236.

PMID: 32641005 PMC: 7346508. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-020-01634-4.

Role of comprehensive geriatric assessment in healthcare of older people in UK care homes: realist review.

Chadborn N, Goodman C, Zubair M, Sousa L, Gladman J, Dening T BMJ Open. 2019; 9(4):e026921.

PMID: 30962238 PMC: 6500328. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026921.

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications: a cross-sectional analysis among 451 nursing homes in France.

Herr M, Grondin H, Sanchez S, Armaingaud D, Blochet C, Vial A Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2017; 73(5):601-608.

PMID: 28093640 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-016-2193-z.

Geriatrician interventions on medication prescribing for frail older people in residential aged care facilities.

Poudel A, Peel N, Mitchell C, Gray L, Nissen L, Hubbard R Clin Interv Aging. 2015; 10:1043-51.

PMID: 26150708 PMC: 4485794. DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S84402.

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