- Title
- Residential Medication Management Reviews and continuous polypharmacy among older Australian women
- Creator
- Thiruchelvam, Kaeshaelya; Byles, Julie; Hasan, Syed Shahzad; Egan, Nicholas; Kairuz, Therese
- Relation
- International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy Vol. 43, Issue 6, p. 1619-1629
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11096-021-01294-3
- Publisher
- Springer
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Background: Polypharmacy is an important consideration for the provision of Residential Medication Management Reviews (RMMRs) among older women given their enhanced risk of medication-related problems and admission to residential aged care (RAC). Objectives: To determine the prevalence of the use of RMMRs among older women in RAC, and the association between RMMRs and polypharmacy, medications, and costs. Setting: Older Australian women aged 79-84 years in 2005 who had at least one Medicare Benefits Schedule and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme record, received a service in aged care, and consented to data linkage. Methods: Generalised estimating equations were used to determine the association between polypharmacy and RMMRs, while adjusting for confounding variables. Main outcome measures: Prevalence of the use of RMMRs among older women in RAC, association between RMMRs and polypharmacy, medications, and costs. Results: Most participants did not have continuous polypharmacy and did not receive RMMRs from 2005 [451 (67.4%)] until 2017 [666 (66.6%)]. Participants with continuous polypharmacy were 17% more likely to receive a RMMR (risk ratio 1.17; 95% confidence interval 1.11, 1.25). Participants in their final year of life and residing in outer regional/remote/very remote Australia were less likely to receive RMMRs. Out-of-pocket medication costs increased over time, and alendronate and aspirin were common contributors to polypharmacy among participants who received RMMRs. Conclusion: Polypharmacy was associated with receiving RMMRs and around two-thirds of women who are entitled to a RMMR never received one. There is potential to improve the use of medicines by increasing awareness of the service among eligible individuals, their carers and health care professionals.
- Subject
- aged-care; medication review; medication use; older women; polypharmacy; residential
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1449712
- Identifier
- uon:43745
- Identifier
- ISSN:2210-7703
- Language
- eng
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