Use of medicines in nursing homes for older people

The relationship and interinfluence of aspects of therapy safety and compliance in patients with cardiovascular diseases (by the data from outpatient registry “PROFILE”)

Aim.To study the relationship and interinfluence of aspects of therapy safety and compliance in patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and their risk factors in the framework of outpatient prospective register “PROFIL”.

Material and methods.The register method, enriched by two original questionnaires evaluating some safety pharmacotherapy guides and compliance, was used. We also practiced 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) to assess overall compliance. The survey was undertook from September 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018. All together 167 of 177 people completed the questionnaires, 162 questionnaires of 80 women and 82 men were analyzed. The mean age of patients was 67,2±11,1 years. One hundred thirty participants answered all the questions of MMAS-8.

Results.We determined that 46 (28,4%) of 162 patients had various adverse events (AE) of pharmacotherapy in history, half of patients (54,3) denied the presence of AE, other participants find difficult to answer this question. According to the data of original questionnaire, almost all patients (n=158, 97,5%) were given medical recommendations for taking medications. Also 145 (91,7%) of 158 patients noted that they were taking the prescribed drugs, but only 117 patients follow blindly recommendations, 13 people did not take drugs. According to the results of MMAS-8, 77 (59,2%) people did not follow recommendations, and 53 patients fully followed them. Regular visits to the attending physician and informing the patient by the doctor, including about AE, significantly increased overall compliance (p<0,05). No significant relationship was found between the number of drugs taken and AE. Patients who had no previous AE, rarely did not follow recommendations (13%), among patients with registered AE there were more cases of low compliance (27,5%, (p=0,044)). In patients who changed the dosage of medication on their own or cancel it, AE were observed more frequently (p<0,0001). The absence of AE in a patient fivefold increases the chances that he will follow recommendations — odds ratio: 5,2, 95% confidence interval: 1,2; 22,9 (p=0,028).

Conclusion. Robust relationship and interinfluence of aspects of therapy safety and compliance, confirmed by the results of the study, determine advanced directions: optimizing the doctor-patient relationship, increasing patient awareness, rational drug use and etc. The lack of ways for obtaining of reliable and complete information about safety indicators and comliance in clinical practice is an important factor preventing the solution of the problem.

The impact of residential medication management reviews (RMMRs) on medication regimen complexity

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of RMMRs on medication regimen complexity, as assessed by a validated measure.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of RMMRs pertaining to 285 aged care residents aged ≥ 65 years in Sydney, Australia. Medication regimen complexity was measured using the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) at baseline, after pharmacists' recommendations (assuming that all of the pharmacists' recommendations were accepted by the General Practitioner (GP)), and after the actual uptake of pharmacists' recommendations by the GP. Differences in the regimen complexity was measured using the Wilcoxon sign rank test.

RESULTS

Pharmacists made 764 recommendations (average 2.7 recommendations per RMMR), of which 569 (74.5%) were accepted by GPs. The median MRCI at baseline in the sample was 25.5 (IQR = 19.0-32.5). No statistically significant differences were demonstrated in the MRCI scores after pharmacists' recommendations (p = 0.53) or after GPs' acceptance of these recommendations (p = 0.07) compared to the baseline.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed high acceptance of pharmacists' recommendations by GPs. This suggests that RMMRs are useful for identifying and resolving drug-related issues among residents of ACFs. However, our study failed to show a significant effect of RMMRs in reducing the medication regimen complexity, as measured by the MRCI. Further studies are needed to establish the association of medication regimen complexity and clinical outcomes in residents of ACFs.

Pursuing concordance: moving away from paternalism

In the second of two articles exploring the value and application of concordance across nursing practice the discussion is aimed at clinical settings and patient groups where concordance may have been viewed as impractical. The author harnesses Cribb and Entwhistle's broader conception of shared decision making and the notion of decision-making capacity as a continuum to argue that concordance can be pursued effectively in challenging settings such as childcare practice, mental health and the care of older people. As in the first paper ( McKinnon, 2013 ) the discussion is not limited to medicines management but remains engaged with all aspects of nursing practice. Legal and ethical frameworks, social participation theory and research across healthcare practice are sourced to argue for concordant approaches in the care of patients who may at times have compromised decision-making capacity. Ideas of direct and indirect concordance are explored.

Prescribing in care homes: the role of the geriatrician

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.

Medication administration errors for older people in long-term residential care

Background

Older people in long-term residential care are at increased risk of medication prescribing and administration errors. The main aim of this study was to measure the incidence of medication administration errors in nursing and residential homes using a barcode medication administration (BCMA) system.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted in 13 care homes (9 residential and 4 nursing). Data on all medication administrations for a cohort of 345 older residents were recorded in real-time using a disguised observation technique. Every attempt by social care and nursing staff to administer medication over a 3-month observation period was analysed using BCMA records to determine the incidence and types of potential medication administration errors (MAEs) and whether errors were averted. Error classifications included attempts to administer medication at the wrong time, to the wrong person or discontinued medication. Further analysis compared data for residential and nursing homes. In addition, staff were surveyed prior to BCMA system implementation to assess their awareness of administration errors.

Results

A total of 188,249 medication administration attempts were analysed using BCMA data. Typically each resident was receiving nine different drugs and was exposed to 206 medication administration episodes every month. During the observation period, 2,289 potential MAEs were recorded for the 345 residents; 90% of residents were exposed to at least one error. The most common (n = 1,021, 45% of errors) was attempting to give medication at the wrong time. Over the 3-month observation period, half (52%) of residents were exposed to a serious error such as attempting to give medication to the wrong resident. Error incidence rates were 1.43 as high (95% CI 1.32-1.56 p < 0.001) in nursing homes as in residential homes. The level of non-compliance with system alerts was very low in both settings (0.075% of administrations). The pre-study survey revealed that only 12/41 staff administering drugs reported they were aware of potential administration errors in their care home.

Conclusions

The incidence of medication administration errors is high in long-term residential care. A barcode medication administration system can capture medication administration errors and prevent these from occurring.

Geriatricians and care homes: perspectives from geriatric medicine departments and primary care trusts

Older people in care homes are clinically complex and particularly vulnerable to the effects of poor care and poor medicine. They are also a group to whom the NHS seems least committed. Geriatricians have become disengaged over the past two decades, as a result of social policies rather than clinical judgements. In 2000, the Royal College of Physicians, with the Royal College of Nursing and the British Geriatrics Society, issued guidance and recommendations for improving clinical practice. This paper reports progress since then based on results of national surveys of geriatric medicine departments and primary care trusts in England. The results show that important deficiencies persist, though most respondents were in favour of greater specialist involvement. Some suggestions are made for ways to improve the shared care of residents in care homes.

Audits of medication use in Sydney nursing homes

BACKGROUND

most nursing home residents take several different medications. Reports have shown considerable variation in the frequency and types of prescriptions between nursing homes and between countries.

OBJECTIVE

to record the current pattern of medication use in Sydney nursing homes to allow comparison with patterns observed 5 and 10 years previously, and in other countries.

METHODS

data were recorded from the medication cards and clinical files of all 3,054 residents in 50 nursing homes in the Central Sydney Health Area and were compared with data recorded in 1993 and 1998.

RESULTS

the mean number of medications prescribed per resident in 2003 was 6.84, while the mean number consumed regularly (rather than 'as necessary') was 5.42. These numbers were higher than 5 and 10 years previously, though there had been reductions in use of diuretics, anticonvulsants, hypnotics and anxiolytics. There had been increased prescription of antidepressants, anti-diabetes drugs, calcium and (among women) thyroid hormones. Prescription rates for laxatives, cardiovascular medication and analgesics remained high.

CONCLUSIONS

the pattern of medication prescription has changed. This may be attributable to improved education of clinicians and nursing home staff, involvement of pharmacists and altered or increased prevalence of medical and mental disorders in nursing homes.