1. Drug therapy problems identified among older adults placed in a nursing home: the Croatian experience
- Author
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Ivona Jukić, Donatella Verbanac, Sanda Vladimir Knežević, Katarina Fehir Šola, Andrea Brajković, and Iva Mucalo
- Subjects
Male ,Prospective Clinical Research Report ,Medicine (General) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ,Croatia ,Medication Therapy Management ,pharmaceutical care ,comprehensive medication management services ,Pharmacists ,030226 pharmacology & pharmacy ,Biochemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,R5-920 ,0302 clinical medicine ,Prevalence ,medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,030212 general & internal medicine ,older adults ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Croatian ,Health Services Needs and Demand ,Nursing home ,drug therapy problems ,business.industry ,Biochemistry (medical) ,Cell Biology ,General Medicine ,Quality Improvement ,language.human_language ,Nursing Homes ,Drug therapy problems ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Pharmaceutical care ,Family medicine ,Polypharmacy ,language ,Female ,Observational study ,terapijski problemi ,starija životna dob ,business ,Nursing homes ,polymedication - Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the frequency and type of drug therapy problems (DTPs) in older institutionalized adults.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional observational study from February to June 2016 at a 150-bed public nursing home in Croatia, where comprehensive medication management (CMM) services were provided. A rational decision-making process, referred to as the Pharmacotherapy Workup method, was used to classify DTPs.ResultsData were prospectively collected from 73 residents, among which 71% were age 75 years or older. The median number of prescribed medications per patient was 7 (2–16) and polypharmacy (> 4) was recorded for 54 (74.0%) patients. A total 313 DTPs were identified, with an average of 4.3 ± 2 DTPs per patient. The most frequent DTP was needing additional drug therapy (n = 118; 37.7%), followed by adverse drug reaction (n = 55; 17.6%). Lactulose (14.4%), tramadol (6.7%), and potassium (6.4%) were the medications most frequently related to DTPs.ConclusionThe high prevalence of DTPs identified among older institutionalized adults strongly suggests the need to incorporate new pharmacist-led CMM services within existing institutional care facilities, to improve the care provided to nursing home residents.
- Published
- 2020
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