Study protocol: High risk prescribing in older adults: prevalence, clinical and economic implications and potential for intervention at the population level

Source: BMC Public Health Area: Evidence > Medicines Management > References Background: High-risk prescribing can compromise independent well-being and quality of life in older adults.  The aims of this project are to determine the prevalence, risk factors, clinical consequences and costs of high risk prescribing, and to assess the impact of interventions on high risk prescribing in older people. Methods: The proposed project will utilise data from the 45 and Up Study, a large scale cohort of 267,153 men and women aged 45 and over recruited during 2006-09 from the state of New South Wales, Australia linked to a range of administrative health datasets.  High-risk prescribing will be assessed using three indicators: polypharmacy (use of 5 or more medicines); Beers' Criteria (an explicit measure of potentially inappropriate medication use); and Drug Burden Index (a pharmacological dose-dependent measure of cumulative exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medicines).  Individual risk factors from the 45 and Up Study ...
Source: NeLM - Care of Older People - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: news